Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

Nowadays, an increasing number of professionals are choosing self-employment rather than working for companies or organizations. This is mainly because self-employment provides greater freedom and flexibility, although it also has several disadvantages. This trend is driven by the desire for autonomy, yet it carries significant risks regarding work-life balance and health.

On the one hand, every person wants freedom, whether in making decisions or in earning, and does not want to work for any boss or in an organization. Mostly in organizations, employees face many issues regarding their pay as well as incentives. The toxic and unprofessional culture in some companies pushes back the real and honest worker, and some employees who flatter their superiors gain promotions and incentives. Additionally, this is not a one-day or one-month behavior an employee faces of discouragement but a long-time pushback, which creates a way to choose the self-employed path and work online from home or anywhere they want.

Furthermore, a self-employed person is free to work, and there is no fixed schedule, but every act has a price, and the self-employed person pays the price in the form of sleepless nights, no fixed daily time, and health issues. As online work has no fixed time, maybe clients send you texts late at night to fix any issue that sometimes is minor but mostly disturbs the employee's night routine. Sleepless nights create many health issues in the form of high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, etc.

In conclusion, people may choose self-employment because it offers greater freedom and flexibility, although it can also make it difficult to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: reasons for choosing self-employment and the associated disadvantages. The position is clear from the introduction. However, the development of ideas is somewhat uneven. The explanation regarding why people choose self-employment relies heavily on a generalized critique of corporate culture ('flatter their superiors'), which lacks nuance. The disadvantages section is more specific, linking the lack of a fixed schedule to health consequences. To reach a higher band, the arguments could be more balanced and supported with more concrete, less anecdotal examples. Overall, the task is addressed, but the depth of analysis is limited.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two main ideas. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'Furthermore', and 'In conclusion' are used to guide the reader. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the flow between sentences within paragraphs could be smoother. For instance, the transition from discussing corporate culture to the 'self-employed path' is a bit abrupt. Referencing is generally clear, but the overall progression of ideas could be more sophisticated to achieve a higher band.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express ideas clearly. There is an attempt to use less common vocabulary, such as 'autonomy', 'incentives', and 'unprofessional culture'. However, there are some instances of slightly unnatural phrasing, such as 'not a one-day or one-month behavior an employee faces of discouragement'. The range is sufficient to convey meaning, but it lacks the precision and flexibility required for higher bands. Improving collocations and reducing repetitive phrasing would enhance the lexical quality.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors that persist, such as 'this is not a one-day or one-month behavior an employee faces of discouragement' and 'maybe clients send you texts'. Punctuation is generally correct, but the sentence construction is occasionally awkward. The writer shows an ability to use complex sentences, but the control over these structures is not consistent enough for a higher band. The errors do not impede communication, but they are noticeable.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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