Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-26

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)

Nowadays, many people prefer to be self-employed rather than work for a company or organisation. This is mainly because of the freedom and flexibility that self-employment provides. However, it also has some disadvantages, such as financial uncertainty and greater responsibility.

There are several reasons why people choose self-employment. The first and foremost reason is freedom. Self-employed people can decide their own working hours and choose the type of work they want to do. They do not have to follow strict instructions from a manager. Another reason is the opportunity to earn more money. If a business becomes successful, the owner can increase their income without depending on a fixed salary. For example, many people start online businesses or work as freelancers because they can work from home and earn money from different clients.

However, being self-employed also has some drawbacks. The main disadvantage is an uncertain income. Unlike regular employees, self-employed people may not receive a fixed salary every month. Their earnings can depend on the number of customers or projects they have. In addition, they have more responsibilities. They may have to manage customers, finances, taxes and advertising themselves. This can create stress and result in longer working hours. For instance, a small business owner may have to work late at night to complete orders while also dealing with financial and administrative tasks.

In conclusion, people are increasingly choosing self-employment because it offers greater freedom, flexibility and the possibility of higher earnings. Nevertheless, unstable income and additional responsibilities can make this type of work challenging.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response fully addresses all parts of the task by clearly explaining both the reasons why people choose self-employment and the potential disadvantages. The position is well-developed and maintained throughout the essay. The introduction clearly outlines the main ideas, which are then extended and supported in the body paragraphs with relevant examples, such as freelancers working from home and small business owners managing administrative tasks. The ideas are clearly relevant to the prompt, meeting the criteria for a Band 7.0 or Band 8.0.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay displays clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Each paragraph has a clear central topic, starting with an introduction, followed by well-sequenced body paragraphs discussing reasons and drawbacks respectively, and concluding concisely. Cohesive devices such as 'The first and foremost reason', 'Another reason', 'However', and 'In addition' are used appropriately to guide the reader through the arguments. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and effectively, fulfilling the Band 7.0 descriptors for clear logical organisation and flexible use of cohesive devices.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

The vocabulary used is sufficient for the task and allows for adequate precision. The student successfully incorporates less common lexical items related to the business and employment domain, such as 'self-employment', 'financial uncertainty', 'freelancers', and 'administrative tasks'. While the range is generally appropriate and communicative, it lacks the broader flexibility, naturalness, and sophistication in uncommon collocations required to reach a Band 8.0. However, word choices are accurate, and spelling is correct throughout.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The writer demonstrates a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures, incorporating relative clauses and conditional structures effectively (e.g., 'If a business becomes successful, the owner can increase their income...'). There is a high frequency of error-free sentences, and punctuation is handled well. Grammatical control is strong, with only minor limitations in structural variety preventing a higher score. Overall, the grammar supports clear communication without impeding the reader, aligning well with the Band 7.0 descriptors.

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