Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-10-07

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)

In this contemporary world, numerous individuals run their own businesses rather than doing jobs for other firms. While there are various problems with being self-employed, I firmly believe that individuals should be their own employers due to flexibility and self-determination.

On the one hand, there are significant reasons for individuals to own their own business. One primary reason is that people have the self-confidence to be arduous. This is because they think that they have the ability to achieve more than what they have. In addition to this, there is huge competition in getting a job, which lets them have their flexibility and interest. Although the current occupation does not offer them this, they start to build their career in start-ups. Subsequently, more than half of these small businesses automatically become big firms.

However, there are vital problems that come with being one's own employer. One of them is financial instability. Since the individual starts their company or businesses, they invest their whole savings in it, which may cause them to have financial issues. As not all firms become big firms, some may experience a loss rather than a profit. Ultimately, these may also affect the person, causing stress or serious diseases. For instance, most businessmen have some type of disease because they have to take a lot of stress regarding their business.

In conclusion, although individuals have to suffer from financial instability in finances as a problem, the flexibility and future success encourage them to be self-employed. Therefore, I believe that it may give them more opportunities and the life they dreamed of.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both questions and maintain a clear overall view: self-employment is attractive because of flexibility and the prospect of success, but it can bring financial instability. The disadvantage is explained with a relevant chain of effects—using savings, making a loss, and experiencing stress. However, the reasons for choosing this path are less fully developed. For example, “self-confidence to be arduous” is unclear, and the point about competition for jobs does not explain precisely how it leads people to start businesses. The claim that more than half of small businesses become large firms is also unsupported. Develop one or two reasons with clearer explanation and a specific, credible example to make the response more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, a paragraph explaining reasons, a paragraph on disadvantages, and a conclusion. The contrast between the two main sides is easy to follow, and signposts such as “On the one hand,” “However,” and “In conclusion” help guide the reader. Some connections between ideas are less clear or feel mechanical. For instance, “Although the current occupation does not offer them this” has an unclear reference, while “Subsequently” does not establish a convincing link between starting a business and most small firms becoming large. The conclusion also repeats the main points rather than drawing them together. Use more precise referencing and make each sentence’s relationship to the previous one explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a reasonable range of topic-related vocabulary, including “self-employed,” “financial instability,” “flexibility,” and “self-determination.” These choices make the subject clear, and you attempt more formal expressions such as “Ultimately” and “occupation.” However, several word choices or combinations are unnatural or imprecise, which limits clarity: “self-confidence to be arduous,” “have their flexibility and interest,” and “stress regarding their business” do not express the intended ideas naturally. There is also repetition of “big firms” and “businesses.” Aim for accurate collocations and more precise terms—for example, describe people as “determined to work hard” and explain that they seek “greater autonomy” or “control over their working hours.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use both simple and complex sentence forms, including subordinate clauses with “Since,” “As,” and “Although,” and most of the message remains understandable. Some grammatical errors and awkward constructions are present, particularly in longer sentences. For example, “Since the individual starts their company or businesses, they invest their whole savings” has inconsistent number and an unclear clause relationship; “these may also affect the person” has an unclear plural reference; and “financial instability in finances” is grammatically repetitive. Review singular and plural agreement, pronoun reference, and sentence construction. More controlled complex sentences, with clear subjects and logical clause links, would improve accuracy without sacrificing variety.

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