Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-05
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)
These days it is trendy to work for own self rather than being employed by a company or firm. This is due to the changing concept of freedom among the youth and it can be quite dangerous like being unemployed for a longer period of time and losing huge capital in this persuit.
A lot of people has been inclined to start a self-employed professional career these days due to greater liberity of it. With the passing time there has been a lot of development in the idea of personal freedom. Nobody likes to be bossed around today specially young population of the community. Thus, they have been persuaded to not work under anybody, as all institutionlized work places come with a set of rules and regulations. For instance, the dress code on the working place is highly debated about, does anybody has the right to tell other person what to wear? or not. Answer can be yes or no or maybe but that does arises questions on the concept of freedom.
Self employement can be really disastrous, if it done without planning and proper research. Not finding a suitable oppurtunity ot be slef employed can le
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, as it is only 197 words long and ends abruptly mid-sentence. This significantly impacts the development of the response. While the essay introduces the topic and attempts to address both parts of the prompt—reasons for self-employment and potential disadvantages—the ideas are underdeveloped. The second body paragraph is incomplete, meaning the disadvantages are not fully explored or supported with relevant examples. To improve, you must ensure you provide a complete, balanced argument that fully addresses all parts of the prompt within the required length.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay shows some attempt at logical organization, with an introduction and body paragraphs. However, the abrupt ending severely disrupts the flow and coherence of the text. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Thus' and 'For instance,' but they are sometimes used in a slightly mechanical or awkward way. Paragraphing is present, but the incomplete nature of the final paragraph makes the overall structure feel unfinished. To improve, focus on completing your thoughts and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence followed by well-developed supporting points that transition smoothly into the next idea.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and range required for higher bands. There are several spelling errors, such as 'liberity' (liberty), 'institutionlized' (institutionalized), 'oppurtunity' (opportunity), and 'slef' (self). Additionally, some word choices are slightly informal or imprecise, such as 'trendy' and 'bossed around.' To achieve a higher score, you should aim to use a wider range of academic vocabulary and pay closer attention to spelling and word formation. Proofreading your work for common spelling mistakes is a simple way to improve your score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues like 'A lot of people has been' (have been) and 'does anybody has' (does anybody have). There are also punctuation errors, such as the misuse of question marks in the middle of sentences. The incomplete sentence at the end also detracts from the grammatical control. To improve, focus on mastering basic subject-verb agreement and sentence punctuation, and try to incorporate more varied complex structures without sacrificing accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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