Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-26

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Nowadays many people choose to be self-employed, rather than to work for a company or organisation.

Why might this be the case?

What could be the disadvantages of being self-employed?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 5.5)

Individuals are more attractive for self-employment as compared to working under a organization or a boss based company. This essay will discuss both perspectives before explain why a balanced approach is most effective.

On the one hand, Initially youngsters or a experienced employees choosing fed up with their boss or a higher authorities at the organization due to work load and stress. Foe example, Over time and less pay.

Secondly, they are not valued as much as they do at work. Seeking for the appreciation to reach their goals to see them self in a better positions. Apparently they are not getting a proper recognition from their managers end it could directly screwing mindset of employees to drop out their employment. Such as ignoring tasks and deadlines. Additionally, Most of the people are selecting remote based earnings like an freelanced work. It encourages mainly a work life balance a common thing which may citizens seeks. For instance, Spending time with family and balancing work within their zone.

On the other hand, people are arguing it leads to some major disadvantages. Firstly, it may cost organizations profits and working principals, because employees are the back bone for the corporate sector. For an example, affecting companies growth with less productivity and minimal targets. Secondly, With minimized work force directly decreases the fame in the market, in terms of sales, publicity and opportunities. Such as poorer performance in the market and high competition. Additionally, it risks the employees career path that leads for the future there after they might not get a proper positions without authorized work experience.

In conclusion, there is major reasons for the self-employment and typical disadvantages for the same.. In my perspective, balancing both sides with a proper planning will effective more.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: reasons for self-employment and the disadvantages. However, the development of ideas is inconsistent. While the reasons (work-life balance, lack of recognition) are relevant, the discussion on disadvantages is somewhat confused, focusing more on the impact on the organization rather than the personal disadvantages for the individual. The introduction is slightly off-target, as it mentions discussing 'both perspectives' and a 'balanced approach,' which is not the specific task requested. The conclusion is also quite brief and does not fully synthesize the points made. To improve, ensure each paragraph directly answers the specific question asked.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. For example, 'Foe example' (a spelling error) and 'Secondly' are used, but the logical flow between sentences is frequently interrupted by grammatical errors. Referencing is sometimes unclear, such as in the phrase 'such as ignoring tasks and deadlines,' where the subject is ambiguous. The transition between ideas is often abrupt, making the progression of the argument feel disjointed rather than smooth.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is generally limited and repetitive. There are several instances of awkward word choices and non-standard collocations, such as 'screwing mindset,' 'remote based earnings,' and 'higher authorities at the organization.' Some words are used incorrectly, such as 'principals' instead of 'principles' and 'fame' instead of 'reputation.' While the meaning is generally conveyed, the lack of precision and the frequent errors in word choice prevent the essay from reaching a higher band. A wider range of topic-specific vocabulary would significantly improve the quality of the writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede readability. There are issues with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'citizens seeks'), incorrect verb forms (e.g., 'choosing fed up'), and sentence fragments (e.g., 'Foe example, Over time and less pay'). The range of structures is limited, and attempts at complex sentences often result in errors. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the use of commas and capitalization. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction and proofreading for common errors like article usage and verb tense consistency.

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