Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-10-29

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 recent years, individuals are becoming self-employed, rather than employees for an establishment. This can be attributed to the fact that people want not only be answerable to no one but also be able to build a legacy for their children. Although, this could be a self-advantageous, it could also be a drawback in some of the nation's significant sector like the educational and healthcare.

Being self-employed makes one a master of his own and a slave to nobody. In today's contemporary society, employees are subjected to accept the wills of the employers irrespective of whether it against their wishes or not. Some companies set their resumption time for staff to 6:30am and order that they all should be in the office irrespective of the weather conditions or any health challenge. This has compelled some people to neglect white collar jobs and build businesses for themselves. Moreover, people now want to to be remembered for their deeds thereby making them to think outside the box of business they can start which will be runned by members of the family.

One demerit of people choosing to be self-employed is that it can affect the important government institutions. Example when a doctor who is supposed to work in a hospital to save lives decides to open a grocery shop, it will definitely affect the health sector thereby leading to high rate of mortality in the country.

In conclusion, I propose that employers institute favorable conditions for the workforce which will make the

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both questions: you explain that people seek independence from employers and want to create a family legacy, then identify a possible effect on public services. The examples about strict start times and a doctor opening a grocery shop make the discussion more concrete. However, the disadvantages are only briefly developed, and the claim that self-employment harms education and healthcare is not fully explained; the doctor example supports healthcare but not education. Your conclusion is also unfinished (“which will make the”), so your final position and recommendation are left incomplete. Develop the disadvantages more directly—for example, unstable income or lack of employee benefits—and complete the conclusion to make the response more fully developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, a paragraph explaining reasons, a paragraph on a disadvantage, and a concluding section. Linking expressions such as “Moreover” and “In conclusion” help signal the stages of the answer. However, progression is uneven: the first body paragraph combines workplace conditions with the separate idea of leaving a legacy, while the disadvantage paragraph contains only one example and does not develop the point. Some connections are unclear, particularly the shift from self-employment to effects on government institutions. The conclusion stops mid-sentence, disrupting the overall ending. Give each main idea a clear place, explain how each example supports it, and use linking phrases to show the relationship between claims rather than simply marking a new point.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You attempt a range of topic-related vocabulary, including “self-employed,” “white collar jobs,” “legacy,” and “mortality,” and some expressions help communicate your ideas clearly. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “self-advantageous,” “a master of his own,” “accept the wills of the employers,” and “high rate of mortality.” These choices sometimes make the intended meaning less precise. There is also repetition of general terms such as “people” and “business.” Aim for accurate, natural combinations—for example, “be their own boss,” “follow employers’ instructions,” and “an increase in mortality”—and choose vocabulary that directly expresses the point you intend to make.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including the contrast in “Although, this could be a self-advantageous, it could also be a drawback” and the longer example about employers’ start times. However, complex structures are often faulty, and errors occur frequently enough to make some sentences difficult to follow. Examples include “want not only be answerable” (missing “to”), “irrespective of whether it against their wishes” (missing “is”), and “a doctor who is supposed to work … decides” followed by “it will … affect” (unclear reference). The opening “Although” clause is also not correctly punctuated as a standalone sentence. Practise complete clause structures, verb forms, articles, and clear pronoun references, then proofread each sentence for a complete subject and verb.

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