Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-10-17

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 today's world, many individuals prefer to be self-employed rather than to work for a company or any organization. Everyone has his own perspective. In my opinion there are numerous reasons because self-employment is important for your mental health. If anyone doesn't want to do work under pressure, some might be successful, more than their imagination; they want financial freedom, and some want to build their portfolio because personal branding is more important than anything. According to Gen Z, they want to do something exceptional, not traditional. Not only Gen Z millennials, but also self-employed people prefer it.

There are some disadvantages of being self-employed. They don't have enough experience; that's why they could lose their business. They don't want to listen to others, in my opinion. If you don't listen to others, how could you improve your business? Due to self-employment, your health is also affected badly; people don't care about health when they are working. So if you don't take care of your health, you will be drained.

For instance, I know personally someone who does not take care of their physical and mental health; he became ill. It's a serious issue; individuals should take care of their health. Every coin has two sides; if one side is positive, the other side is negative. We should take care of health if we want money and freedom.

From my knowledge and experience, people should continue to work in a company side by side; they start their business. As it grows you can leave your job and focus fully on your work.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both questions: you suggest motives such as avoiding workplace pressure, seeking financial freedom, and building a personal brand, then discuss risks including business failure and harm to health. However, the reasons are often listed rather than explained, and some claims are unclear—for example, “some might be successful, more than their imagination” does not explain why people choose self-employment. The disadvantages also need fuller development: lack of experience and unwillingness to listen are asserted without showing how they lead to specific problems. Your personal example is relevant, but it illustrates health effects more than the broader disadvantages. A clearer position and more precise explanations and examples would make the response more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, moving from reasons to disadvantages, then giving an example and a concluding recommendation. Paragraphing helps distinguish these sections, and phrases such as “For instance” and “From my knowledge and experience” signal examples and advice. However, progression within paragraphs is uneven: several reasons are joined in a long sequence, while the final paragraph introduces working in a company alongside starting a business without clearly linking this advice to the earlier discussion. Repeated patterns such as “some” and “if you” also make the flow feel list-like. Use clearer topic sentences, group related points, and explain the connection between each claim and its example.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a range of task-related vocabulary, including “self-employed,” “financial freedom,” “personal branding,” and “physical and mental health,” so the main ideas are generally understandable. There are also attempts at more expressive phrasing, such as “Every coin has two sides.” However, some word choices and collocations are imprecise or informal, which can make meaning unclear. “More than their imagination” is not a natural way to describe success, and “work under pressure” does not clearly convey the intended contrast with employment. “Their portfolio” is also not explained in context. Aim for precise, natural phrases and avoid broad expressions such as “anything” when a specific point would be clearer.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You use mostly simple sentences, with some attempts at more complex structures, including “If anyone doesn’t want to do work under pressure” and “As it grows you can leave your job.” However, control is inconsistent, and several sentences are awkwardly formed or joined. For example, “Not only Gen Z millennials, but also self-employed people prefer it” has an unclear comparison, while “If anyone doesn’t want to do work under pressure, some might be successful” shifts subjects and does not form a clear relationship between ideas. The sentence beginning “If one side is positive” is also loosely connected to the surrounding point. Practise building complete, clearly linked sentences and checking that subjects and pronouns remain consistent.

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