Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-30

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)

In recent years, an increasing number of people have chosen to be self-employed rather than working for a company. This essay will discuss the reason behind this

and outline its main disadvantages.

There are several convincing reasons why people prefer to work for themselves. The most relevant one is independence and flexibility. Being self-employed allows people to be their own bosses, take their own decisions and choose their working hours, time and locations. This enhances work-life balance especially for parents whose

children are still young. Another Important reason is financial potential and job satisfaction. Unlike salaried jobs with a fixed monthly income, self employment offers unlimited earning potential depending on how much hard work one is able to put in. Moreover, many people become self employed by following their passion which in turn gives them job satisfaction. For example, a tailor can either decide to open a shop or work from home and at the same time make more than he would as an employee in an organization. It is clear that people have reasons to build their businesses rather than working for someone.

Despite these merits, self-employment is not without its distinct disadvantages. Firstly, it can lead to financial instability and insecurities. A self-employed person is someone without monthly salary, paid leaves, sick leave and pension. If they do not work, they do not earn and will further not have money to solve their problems. Secondly, it entails heavy workload and high risk. The individual is solely responsible for every aspect of his business including marketing, sales, management and others. He is left to bear the loses when the business fails because he does not operate in an organization where there are shareholders and investors. For instance, most small businesses in Nigeria does not see the light of the day due to lack of funds and excessive responsibilities. This shows that there are demerits to being self-employed.

In conclusion, although people are conveying towards self employment because of its autonomy and level of flexibility, it comes at the cost of financial instability and mental workload.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The student successfully addresses all parts of the prompt by explaining why people choose self-employment and outlining the main disadvantages. A clear position is maintained throughout the response. The reasons provided, such as independence, flexibility, and financial potential, are well-supported with relevant explanations and examples, like the example of a tailor. The disadvantages, including financial instability and heavy workload, are also thoughtfully explored. The ideas are extended appropriately, meeting the criteria for Band 7, as all parts of the task are fully addressed with clear development and support.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The essay displays a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Ideas are logically sequenced across well-defined paragraphs, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs addressing advantages and disadvantages respectively, and a concise conclusion. Cohesive devices are used reasonably well, such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', and 'Moreover', though referencing is occasionally slightly repetitive. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, ensuring the overall arrangement of the essay remains coherent, aligning with the requirements for Band 7.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

The writer uses an adequate and generally appropriate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully attempting less common items such as 'financial instability', 'autonomy', and 'work-life balance'. However, there are a few lexical inaccuracies and awkward collocations, such as 'conveying towards' (instead of 'gravitating towards' or 'moving towards') and 'businesses does' (a minor agreement slip). Despite these occasional errors in word choice and collocation, the vocabulary is sufficient for precision and does not impede communication, supporting a Band 6.5 or solid 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms. The writer successfully employs subordinate clauses and relative clauses, such as 'parents whose children are still young' and 'depending on how much hard work one is able to put in'. There are some grammatical errors and awkward phrasing, including 'take their own decisions' (usually 'make their own decisions'), 'self employment' (hyphenation issues), and 'most small businesses in Nigeria does not see' (subject-verb agreement error). However, these errors rarely impede communication, placing the grammar firmly in the Band 6 category.

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