Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-03

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)

There is an ongoing debate about whether being a self-employed person is a wiser choice rather than work for a company or organisation. Both perspectives have valid arguments, and in this essay I will discuss both views and give examples.

One of the main reason why some people choose to work for themselves is that they can earn more money. That is mainly because all the profits made would return to them. A cleaner that choose to work for a hotel in New Zealand, for instance, often make just a little over the minimum wage per hour, while a self-employed person can triple that amount hourly. As a result, the solo-trader cleaning business had a sinigicant grow in the past few years.

On the other hand, there are some disadvantages of the related style of work. While most of the jobs are predictable, with around 40 hours per week and a setted hours worked per day, a self-employed person can face an unpredictable environment. For example, a builder that works for a company ofter has a 40 hours guaranted per week, while a self-employed builder will have his hours varied depend on the demand. This can result to a significant variation on their salary when compared with a standard company's staff member.

To conclude, to be a self-employed person is necessary a high flexilibity with hours of work, as well as the person needs to understand about money management, because the salary can be unpredictable. However, the advantages can be greater, as the profit made tend to go direct to the individual, and this can result in better wages when compared with a normal company employee.

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 potential disadvantages. The ideas are relevant, such as the potential for higher earnings and the issue of income instability. However, the development is somewhat limited. The introduction incorrectly states that the essay will discuss 'both views' (implying the choice between self-employment and employment), whereas the prompt asks for reasons for the choice and the disadvantages. While the main body paragraphs provide clear examples, the conclusion is slightly repetitive and could have better synthesised the main points. Overall, the response is clear and relevant, but it lacks the depth required for a higher band score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organised into clear paragraphs, each with a central theme. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'On the other hand', 'For example', and 'To conclude', which help guide the reader through the argument. However, the progression of ideas is sometimes mechanical. For instance, the transition between the introduction and the first body paragraph is abrupt. Additionally, some referencing is slightly awkward, such as 'the related style of work', which could be expressed more naturally. Despite these minor issues, the paragraphing is appropriate and the overall structure is coherent.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to convey their meaning clearly. There are attempts to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'solo-trader', 'minimum wage', and 'money management'. However, there are several spelling errors, such as 'sinigicant', 'grow' (used as a noun instead of 'growth'), 'ofter', and 'flexilibity'. These errors do not impede communication, but they do limit the score. To reach a higher band, the student should focus on using a wider range of precise vocabulary and ensuring accurate spelling of key terms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors. Examples include 'One of the main reason' (should be plural 'reasons'), 'A cleaner that choose' (subject-verb agreement error), 'setted hours' (incorrect verb form), and 'result to' (incorrect preposition, should be 'result in'). These errors are noticeable and occur throughout the text. While the writer attempts complex sentences, the control over them is inconsistent. Improving accuracy in basic subject-verb agreement and prepositional usage is essential for progress.

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

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