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 both parts of the prompt: reasons for choosing self-employment and the potential disadvantages. The position is clear throughout. The ideas are relevant and supported with examples, such as the desire for autonomy versus the reality of financial instability. However, the development is somewhat limited; for instance, the point about 'modern day slavery' is a strong claim that could have been nuanced further to better reflect a professional context. Overall, the response is well-focused and meets the requirements of the task effectively, though it could benefit from more depth in the analysis of the disadvantages to reach a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central topic, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow. Cohesive devices such as 'However', 'Moreover', 'As a result', and 'On the other hand' are used effectively to link ideas. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two main aspects of the prompt. While the flow is generally smooth, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing could be more sophisticated to achieve a higher score. Overall, the structure is clear and supports the reader's understanding.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is sufficient for the task and allows for clear communication. You use some relevant topic-specific terms like 'financial instability', 'entrepreneurs', and 'initial investment'. There are some minor inaccuracies, such as 'similar work patter' (should be 'patterns') and 'doing a job' (which is slightly informal; 'employed in a role' would be better). While you demonstrate a good range, the vocabulary is generally functional rather than sophisticated. To improve, try to incorporate more precise collocations and less common lexical items to convey your ideas with greater nuance and academic tone.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several error-free sentences, which is positive. However, there are some persistent grammatical errors, such as 'decisions are taken only by the influential authorities' (awkward phrasing) and 'the risk that comes with starting business' (missing article 'a'). Additionally, there are minor punctuation and article usage issues throughout. While these errors do not impede communication, they prevent the essay from reaching the higher bands where a wider range of error-free complex structures is expected. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and article usage will help improve your accuracy.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.