Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-11-03

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)

Recently, many individuals have been interested in business rather than working for others. The reasons behind this are that people can follow their passion, have their own authority, and don't need to follow others' instructions. However, some disadvantages include higher risk, more pressure, and instability.

People's mindsets are changing with time. They are less likely to do office jobs or be employed under others. New generations want to run their own business and become their own boss.

The changes in people's thoughts have been caused by the benefits they have received from their own enterprise. One of the biggest reasons is that business gives them full authority. An entrepreneur can work in the sector they love. For instance, my father is a gold business owner. He chose this because he knows about jewellery and gold. He decides every step in his business on his own, with no need to follow others' orders. He has full authority to make changes. He is the owner of all his assets and profits.

However, He needs to take responsibility for all losses too. This is one of the biggest disadvantages. There is a high risk. If they lose, they have to bear it. The owner needs to be a good leader and decision-maker. Sometimes, they can not balance work and family time. Because they are more invested in establishing their business. Always have a pressu

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You address both questions: you explain that self-employment offers autonomy and lets people work in a field they enjoy, and you identify financial risk, responsibility, and pressure as disadvantages. The example about your father’s gold business makes the point about choosing work based on expertise more concrete. However, the response is under the required minimum of 250 words, and several ideas remain brief or incomplete. For example, the reasons are mostly repeated as having authority, while the disadvantages are listed without explaining how they affect an owner’s finances or daily life. The final point about pressure is cut off, so the discussion does not fully develop the second part of the task. Extend each main idea with explanation or a relevant example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, a discussion of reasons, and a paragraph on disadvantages. Linking words such as “However” and “For instance” help signal contrast and example, and the father’s story follows logically from the point about autonomy. However, progression is uneven: the first two paragraphs repeat the idea that people want to be their own boss, and the final paragraph moves quickly between losses, leadership, work-life balance, and pressure. The ending is incomplete, which leaves the response without a clear conclusion. Group related points more deliberately, avoid repeating the same reason, and use a brief concluding sentence to summarise the main trade-off.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “entrepreneur,” “authority,” “profits,” “losses,” and “decision-maker,” and the meaning is generally clear. There is some repetition of “business,” “own,” and “authority,” which limits the range, and a few expressions are not natural or precise, such as “gold business owner” and “more invested in establishing their business.” The phrase “business gives them full authority” is understandable but broad; more specific wording would make the argument clearer. Aim to use accurate collocations and vary terms for self-employment, such as “run a business” or “work independently.” Proofread the final phrase, which is incomplete and prevents the intended meaning from being clear.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use both simple sentences and some longer structures, including “One of the biggest reasons is that business gives them full authority” and the example beginning “For instance.” Most ideas can be understood, but control is inconsistent. The sentence “Because they are more invested in establishing their business” is a fragment, and “Always have a pressu” is also incomplete. There are also punctuation and capitalization issues, such as capitalising “He” after “However” mid-sentence, and the sentence beginning “Sometimes” is awkwardly joined to the following explanation. Practise completing subordinate clauses and connecting related ideas in full sentences. More accurate sentence boundaries and a wider range of controlled complex structures would improve clarity.

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