Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-11-01

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 5.0)

These days some people preffer to be self-employed and they won't preffer to works at a company or organisation.

On the one hand, there are many reasons behind this. This is because, if an employ works at a company or organisation it may led to low wages or salarys. Furthermore, it may lead to discramation as the company or organisation may look at the employes gender, age or even the skin colory. As a result, the employes may get treated differently or may even be given different task from the other employes. Moreover, not all the employess may be confortable with the timing of the work. For example not everyone will want to wakeup early to go to work and coem home late.

On the other hand, there are many disadvantages of being self-employed. This is because, if the worker does not have enough expreance it may be difficle of they to be self-employed as they may not know how to run a company or organisation. As a result it may lead to mistake being made. Furthermore, there is not garenty of the worker making a profit at the start and if they made a loss it can lead to bank lone and even they may have to shurt down the busniess.

In conclution, the reasons why people choose to be self-employed, rather than to work for a company or organisation is because being self-employed can lead to the workes being more independen and they can take a time off when every they want as they can control their own secduil.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You address both questions: the first body paragraph gives possible reasons, including low pay, discrimination and inconvenient working hours, while the second identifies risks such as limited experience, losses and business closure. However, the response only partially develops these points. The conclusion introduces independence and control over time, but these reasons are not explained in the body, so your position and main explanation are not fully consistent. Add specific explanation or an example to show how self-employment offers these benefits, and develop the disadvantages with clearer detail. The response is 247 words, three words below the 250-word minimum; the 15 words copied from the task prompt are not counted.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, separate paragraphs for reasons and disadvantages, and a conclusion. This helps the reader follow the broad direction of your answer. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes mechanical: several points begin with “Furthermore” or “Moreover,” and “This is because” is repeated without always making the relationship between ideas clearer. The conclusion also adds new reasons—independence and taking time off—that were not developed earlier. To improve, organise each paragraph around one main idea, explain it before moving to the next, and make the conclusion summarise points already discussed rather than introduce new ones.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “self-employed,” “salary,” “discrimination,” “profit,” and “business.” These choices make the general subject clear. However, the range is limited and several spelling and word-choice errors make the writing less precise, such as “preffer,” “expreance,” “garenty,” “bank lone,” and “secduil.” Some phrases are also unnatural, including “skin colory” and “different task from the other employes.” Build accuracy by checking spelling and learning common collocations, for example “skin colour,” “different tasks from other employees,” and “take out a bank loan.” More precise vocabulary would help you explain the causes and consequences of self-employment.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including conditional structures such as “if an employ works at a company” and cause-and-effect clauses beginning “As a result.” However, the range is limited, and errors occur frequently enough to make some sentences difficult to read. Examples include “they won't preffer to works,” “it may led,” and “it may be difficle of they,” where verb forms or sentence construction are faulty. There are also problems with agreement and sentence control, as in “the reasons … is because.” Practise accurate verb patterns after modal verbs and infinitives, and check subject–verb agreement. Shorter, carefully controlled sentences will help you communicate your ideas more clearly while you build confidence with complex forms.

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