Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-11-02

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)

There is an ongoing debate nowadays that many people choose to be self-employed, rather than to work for a company or an organisation. I agree with this statement as people are left with limited choices due to the ongoing economical crisis.

There are several reasons for people to prefer being self-employed. The world is going through an economy crisis after covid-19 and it has affected many businesses. There is no certainity of jobs, many people are doing two jobs at a time and still can't meet their expenses. Many people have reported toxic working environment in their company which is one of the reasons to be self-employed. Also, companies have strict rules about paid leaves which has made it difficult for people to continue working at a company or an organisation whereas being self-employed has many advantages such as one can work according to their pace, in comfort of their home and feel more relaxed.

Despite the fact that there are few advantages of being self employed such as easily getting maternity leaves or working while travelling, the disadvantages outweighs the advantages. For instance, my uncle who left his full-time job to start a new business, suffered from a huge financial loss and all his savings were gone. This shows that working at a company gives a sense of financial security. Also, people who work at an organisation or a company can get loans and insurance more easily. There are quite a few perks of working in a company as compared to being self employed such as one gets to experience annual trips, increment in salaries and working in a professional environment helps in gaining more exposure and confidence.

In conclusion, people who are self-employed are at risk of losing financial control or being deprived of other facilities which are available at a company or an organisation. However, the companies should treat their employees with respect and encourage them to work better.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address both questions: you explain why people may choose self-employment, citing job insecurity, financial pressure, and dissatisfaction with workplace conditions, then discuss risks such as financial loss and fewer employment benefits. Your uncle’s business experience is a relevant example, and your conclusion restates the main concern. However, the opening says “I agree with this statement,” although the task asks for explanations rather than agreement, and the claim that disadvantages outweigh advantages is not fully supported by a balanced comparison. Some points, such as maternity leave and working while travelling, are mentioned briefly without explaining how they relate to the disadvantages. Develop the reasons and consequences more evenly, and make your position directly answer the two questions.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, a paragraph on reasons, a paragraph on disadvantages, and a conclusion. Linking expressions such as “Also,” “Despite the fact,” and “In conclusion” help signal relationships between ideas. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes uneven. The second body paragraph begins by listing advantages of self-employment, then shifts to disadvantages, which makes its focus less clear. The first paragraph also moves quickly from economic conditions to toxic workplaces and then to flexibility. Group related points more deliberately, and use topic sentences that establish each paragraph’s main purpose. Some transitions feel mechanical; clearer links explaining cause and effect would make the argument easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of vocabulary for the topic, including “financial security,” “toxic working environment,” “strict rules,” and “professional environment.” These phrases help communicate the main ideas, and the meaning is generally clear. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward, such as “economical crisis,” “no certainity of jobs,” and “increment in salaries.” Spelling errors such as “certainity” also reduce accuracy. There is some repetition of “company or an organisation” and “self-employed,” so vary these where appropriate with terms such as “employer,” “business,” or “independent work.” Aim for precise, natural collocations rather than adding more complex vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including a relative clause in “my uncle who left his full-time job” and a contrast structure beginning “Despite the fact that.” Most ideas remain understandable, but some grammatical errors occur. For example, “the disadvantages outweighs” has a subject–verb agreement error, while “in comfort of their home” is missing an article and has unclear number agreement. The sentence beginning “There is no certainity of jobs” is also awkwardly joined to the following clause. Review agreement, articles, and sentence boundaries, especially in longer sentences. More consistently controlled complex sentences would make your reasoning clearer without sacrificing the range you already attempt.

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