Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-28

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 6.5)

At present, some people aspire to be self-employed instead of working for others, particularly because they prefer the independence of doing work. However, there are some potential drawbacks such as income instability and risk of investment.

One of the major reasons to be self-employed is that, the new generation mostly prefers to be their own bosses and have freedom in their way of working. When a person is doing a job in a company, he has to abide by the rules of that workplace and cannot bring changes to the operations as he likes even after having a great idea. For example, proposals from employees are often not recognized and decisions are taken only by the influential authorities of a company which sometimes demotivates many workers. Moreover, similar work patter can cause fatigue and burnout in many workers. As a result, many people nowadays compare working for other organizations as modern day slavery and hence do not want to be a part of it as they want to work flexibly.

On the other hand, there are some possible disadvantages of self-employment and one of the significant one would be the financial instability. In jobs, for instance, there is a stable source of income every month regardless of whether the company is doing well of not but entrepreneurs do not have this advantage as it does not guarantee a set income. Additionally, the risk that comes with starting business is another point. The initial investment is generally too high and the returns might not pay off the expenses which is risky. Consequently, it can cause stress, disappointment and uncertainty.

In conclusion, in order to work independently, many people today prefer self-employment over working for other companies or organizations. Nevertheless, it comes with monetary uncertainty and risk of initial investment, which can be disadvantageous for people who choose to work for themselves.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, identifying reasons for self-employment (independence, autonomy, avoiding workplace fatigue) and disadvantages (financial instability, investment risk). The position is clear throughout. The ideas are relevant and generally well-developed, though the argument regarding 'modern day slavery' is a strong, perhaps slightly hyperbolic, claim that could have been nuanced further. Overall, the response provides a balanced view and meets the requirements of the task effectively, demonstrating a good understanding of the prompt's demands.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the reasons from the disadvantages. Cohesive devices such as 'Moreover', 'As a result', 'On the other hand', and 'Consequently' are used effectively to guide the reader through the argument. The progression of ideas is smooth, and the referencing is generally clear. The structure is coherent, and the flow of information is logical, meeting the criteria for a solid band 7 performance.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is sufficient for the task and allows for some precision. You use terms like 'autonomy' (implied), 'financial instability', 'entrepreneurs', and 'initial investment' correctly. There are some minor issues with collocation, such as 'doing a job' (better: 'holding a position' or 'working') and 'similar work patter' (likely a typo for 'pattern'). While the range is adequate, it lacks the more sophisticated, less common lexical items that would push the score into the 8.0 range. However, the meaning is always clear, and the vocabulary is appropriate for an academic context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There is good control over basic grammar, but there are occasional errors in articles and prepositions, such as 'the new generation mostly prefers to be their own bosses' (should be 'their own boss') and 'decisions are taken only by the influential authorities of a company'. Additionally, 'doing a job in a company' is slightly unnatural. While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. A greater variety of complex, error-free structures would be needed for a band 7 or higher.

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

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