Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-10-16

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)

Many individuals are not interested in working for any company or organisation, rather they prefer self-employement. This is because people do not want to be a corporate slave and want to work on their own pace, that could also lead to a few disadvantages.

In recent times, people prefer self-employement in order to be their own boss, because they do not know how to take orders from other people. In corportae jobs, employees are required to follow a strict routine, as they have to work 8 to 10 hours per day, 6 days a week. This routine is not suitable for many people so they start their own businesses, build new start-ups and start working according to their own schedule and timing that suits them. For instance, many teenagers now find working in a company quite tiring beacuse of their long working hours.

Self-employement has its pros and cons, one of the major drawback is its negative effect on the communication skills of the people. Individuals working in the corporate sector meet several people everyday that helps in improving and polishing their soft skills, while a self-employed individuals do not meet people on daily basis that make them introvert and become shy of human interaction. Another main drawback is that the individuals bear the burden of all the work themselves, as they are unable to hire more people because of the financial barrier. For example, new start-ups require more marketing and finance to sustain, this alone put a significant amount of pressure on people, that sometimes results in the collapse of the business.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses both questions: it explains the appeal of being one’s own boss and having a more flexible schedule, then identifies reduced opportunities to practise communication and the pressure of managing a business alone. These points are relevant, and the examples about teenagers’ working hours and start-ups help illustrate them. However, some ideas are asserted rather than fully explained. For instance, the claim that self-employment makes people introverted needs qualification, since many self-employed people interact regularly with clients. The reasons for choosing this path could also be broader, such as pursuing a personal interest or seeking greater control over income. Develop each point with a clearer explanation and a more specific example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, a paragraph on reasons, and a paragraph on disadvantages. The reader can follow the main progression, and linking expressions such as “For instance” and “Another main drawback” help signal examples and additional points. Some connections are less smooth or precise, however. The opening sentence combines the preference for self-employment with its disadvantages, making the introduction’s focus slightly unclear. In the final paragraph, the shift from communication skills to financial pressure is understandable but could be signposted more clearly. Some references, such as “that” in “that sometimes results,” are also not fully clear. Use more precise links and ensure each paragraph develops one central purpose.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The response uses a relevant range of vocabulary, including “strict routine,” “soft skills,” “financial barrier,” and “collapse of the business,” which helps communicate the main ideas. It also attempts topic-specific language such as “start-ups” and “corporate sector.” However, spelling and word-choice errors are noticeable, including “self-employement,” “corportae,” and “beacuse.” Some expressions are also unnatural or imprecise: “work on their own pace” and “the burden of all the work themselves” could be phrased more idiomatically. Repeated use of “people,” “work,” and “individuals” limits variety. Check spelling carefully, learn common collocations, and choose more precise terms when describing the benefits and risks of self-employment.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

There is a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including clauses with “because,” “as,” and “while,” and the main meaning is generally clear. Some grammatical errors remain. For example, “that could also lead” has an unclear reference and would be clearer as a separate sentence or with a more precise clause; “a self-employed individuals” has a mismatch between the article and plural noun; and “that make them introvert” has subject–verb agreement and number problems. The sentence beginning “For example, new start-ups require…” also joins clauses with a comma where stronger punctuation or a conjunction is needed. Review agreement, articles, and sentence boundaries, while continuing to use complex structures with careful checking.

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