Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-10-08

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)

Today alot of people choose to be self-employed instead of working for a business or company its mostly due to the flexibility and decison making power that self-employed provides along with some great income rather working for someone else. There are some disadvantages to it as well which i would explaqin them further down below.

Nowadys many people like to work for themselfes or to their own businesses rather than working for others because there is more flexibility and they want to be independent rather than relying on others. The self employed allows them to work according to their will and need also they can work however they want regardless of relying on others. Also it allows them to be independent they can do what they like and according to their free will without worrying about anyone else. There is another reason is income, as they can generate more it in doing business rather then working for company.

However, there are some drawbacks to it as well.The first is the lack of learning and exposture in doing their own work. As they can learn and gain experience in working for company as they would work with others that would allow them to gain experience and develop communication skills which are necessary in life. Because when they work independent they would not know what to do and how to do it.

Another con is the lack of routine or time table as when working in company they follow a routine which helps them to develop a habbit or routine which then results in utilizing time more efficently. When you are self independent there is a chance that you would not follow the routine or manage your time which crucial for a perosn.

Inconclusion, alot of people are self independent instead of working for others which is benefitual in many ways like having more flexibility and a sense of independence with chances of earing more but there are some drawbacks to it like not having more learing opportunities and routine as well but everything comes with a price in the end.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses both questions: it gives flexibility, independence and the possibility of higher income as reasons for self-employment, then identifies reduced opportunities to learn from colleagues and difficulty maintaining a routine as disadvantages. These points are relevant, but they are mostly asserted rather than explained or supported with a specific example. For instance, the claim that self-employed people can “generate more” income is not qualified or illustrated, and the discussion of learning opportunities could explain when working with others helps someone develop. The conclusion restates the main points but does not add a clear, developed overall view. To strengthen the response, explain the causes and consequences of each point and include a relevant example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The essay has a recognisable structure, with an opening, separate paragraphs for reasons and disadvantages, and a conclusion. This helps the reader identify the two sides of the question. However, progression within paragraphs is often repetitive: flexibility and independence are repeated in several forms, and the disadvantages paragraph returns to routine without a clear link between its ideas. Some connections are awkward or unclear, such as “There is another reason is income” and “Because when they work independent.” Basic signposting with “However” and “Another con” is present, but the linking is sometimes mechanical and does not always show the relationship between claims. Group related points, avoid restating them, and use clearer transitions and references to make the argument flow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the main ideas, including “flexibility,” “independent,” “drawbacks,” “experience” and “communication skills.” However, the range is limited and several word-choice, collocation and spelling errors make the writing less clear or natural. Examples include “self independent,” “lack of learning and exposture,” “ear ing more” (intended as earning), and “benefitual.” Phrases such as “work according to their will and need” and “generate more it” are also imprecise. These errors sometimes make the reader pause to infer the intended meaning. Build a more accurate set of topic-specific phrases, such as “greater autonomy,” “financial uncertainty” and “professional development,” and check spelling and word forms carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts some longer sentences and subordinate clauses, but the range is limited and complex constructions are often faulty. The opening sentence runs several ideas together without clear punctuation, while “There is another reason is income” has an incomplete or incorrectly formed structure. Other examples include “the self employed allows them,” where the subject and verb do not agree, and “time which crucial for a person,” which is missing a verb. Sentence boundaries and commas are also inconsistent, as in “as well.The first.” These errors recur and can make relationships between ideas difficult to follow. Practise forming accurate simple sentences first, then add clauses using clear patterns such as “One reason is that…” and “This can lead to…”.

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