Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-11

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, many individuals choose to be self-employed rather than to work as employees for compaines or arganizations. I think this provides people more freedon and flexibility and chances of earning higher money. However, this development has several drawbacks such as financial uncertainty and more responsibility and stress. This essay will discuss both reasons and disadvantages of self-employed.

One of the main reasons why people prefer to be self-employed is that it can provide flexible working hours and financial independence. This means that they can directly benefit from the growth of their business and they can organize their working schedules more effectively. For example, a freelancer does not need to work at a specific place or time, they can work when and where they wish. As a result, people can improve productivity and earn more than as a normal employee.

However, one of the major disadvantages of self-employed is that it can raise responsibility and stress. This is because people need to manage and maintain their businesses alone, which can increase stress and anxiety and also damage their work-life balance. Moreover, they do not manage their businesses effectively. For instance, people sometimes earn less according to the demand, which can create problems for self-employed how to meet their daily needs and maintain their business. Therefore, they face financial challenges and earn lower money.

In conclusion, although self-employed offers people more flexibility and opportunities to earn higher income, I believe that it can also increase work-related stress and some people face fiinancial difficulties that can exacerbate their stress levels.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: the reasons for choosing self-employment and the potential disadvantages. The position is clear from the introduction. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While you mention 'financial independence' and 'flexibility', the explanation could be more detailed with more specific examples. The disadvantages section touches on stress and financial instability, but the argument regarding 'not managing businesses effectively' is slightly vague. To reach a higher band, ensure that each point is fully extended with concrete evidence or logical consequences rather than just stating the ideas.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each with a central topic. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'However', 'For example', 'As a result', and 'Moreover' to link ideas. While the progression is generally clear, some transitions feel a bit mechanical. The referencing is mostly accurate, though the use of 'self-employed' as a noun (e.g., 'disadvantages of self-employed') is grammatically incorrect and slightly disrupts the flow. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring nouns are used correctly would enhance the overall cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You have an adequate range of vocabulary to convey your points, such as 'financial uncertainty', 'work-life balance', and 'exacerbate'. However, there are several spelling errors, such as 'compaines', 'arganizations', 'freedon', and 'fiinancial'. Additionally, there is a recurring error in word form: using 'self-employed' (an adjective) as a noun. You should use 'self-employment' instead. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding your message, they limit the score. Expanding your vocabulary to include more precise collocations would help move toward a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you successfully use some complex sentences, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with word forms and articles. For example, 'earn higher money' should be 'earn more money' or 'higher income', and 'disadvantages of self-employed' should be 'disadvantages of being self-employed'. There are also minor issues with subject-verb agreement and preposition usage. To improve, focus on proofreading for these small but frequent errors and try to incorporate a wider variety of complex structures with greater accuracy.

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