Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-10-30

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)

In recent times, many people are considering to be self-employed instead of doing jobs in companies or organizations. This is because the salaries in several companies are below par and individuals can earn better while doing businesses or start-ups. Another reason could be the flexibility, which many people don't find in a traditional 9 to 5 jobs. The major drawback of being self-employed is that a person cannot learn to work in a team, and it could lead to make the person lazy.

There is a trend in today's generation to work independently or in a comfortable place instead of daily commuting to offices in harsh climatic conditions. The reason for this is because many corporate companies offer strict timings in a job, which a person has to follow in every circumstances. This put the individuals under pressure in handling office work. Similarly, many companies offer limited salaries to people doing hardwork. This convinces the youngsters to start their own businesses because they can earn double or triple through them. For example, many graduates are now doing start-ups and earning a substantial amount of money.

Although, being self-employed has been beneficial in some aspects, it's disadvantages are growing with time. The major downside of working independently is that a person cannot learn certain skills which are needed to survive in society. The soft skills such as networking and team work are required in every day life, which are only learnt when a person is involved in these situations. Moreover, most of the time, self-working people don't do their work, which can increase laziness in their personality, which is also harmful for them.

In conclusion, while the increasing salary and flexibility in routine are the factors which motivate individuals to work alone, not working on the downsides of being lazy and not making connections can be disastrous.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address both questions and maintain a clear overall position: low pay and flexibility help explain the choice, while weaker teamwork and self-discipline are presented as disadvantages. The examples of graduates starting businesses and earning more are relevant. However, some points are asserted rather than fully explained. For instance, the claim that self-employment prevents people from learning skills needed in society would be stronger if you explained why independent work limits opportunities to practise them. The idea that self-employed people may become lazy is also broad and needs a specific cause or example. Develop each main point with a clearer explanation and a more precise supporting example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, separate paragraphs for reasons and disadvantages, and a conclusion that restates the main ideas. The progression within the reasons paragraph—from commuting and strict schedules to pay—is generally easy to follow, and linking expressions such as “Similarly” and “Moreover” help connect points. This organisation is effective, though some cohesion is mechanical or unclear. For example, “This put the individuals under pressure” does not clearly identify which preceding factor “This” refers to, and the repeated use of “which” in the disadvantages paragraph makes the relationships between ideas less smooth. Use more precise referencing and vary how you connect explanations and examples.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary to discuss employment, including “flexibility,” “traditional,” “substantial amount,” “soft skills,” and “networking.” These choices communicate the main ideas, and you attempt some less common expressions. However, several word choices or collocations are imprecise: “considering to be self-employed” is not a natural construction, “in every circumstances” is awkward, and “self-working people” is unclear. “Hardwork” is also incorrectly formed as one word in this context. Aim for more natural employment-related phrasing and check collocations and word forms. Greater precision would help distinguish between the advantages of independence and the specific risks of working alone.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentences, including subordinate clauses with “because,” “which,” and “while,” and most meaning remains clear. Some grammatical errors persist, however. Examples include “considering to be” (use a gerund after “considering”), “a traditional 9 to 5 jobs” (article and number agreement), and “in every circumstances” (determiner and plural agreement). In “This put the individuals under pressure,” the past-tense verb does not fit the present-tense discussion; “This puts” would be consistent. The sentence beginning “Although, being self-employed…” also has faulty punctuation after the introductory conjunction. Review verb forms, agreement, and sentence punctuation while retaining your attempts at complex structures.

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