Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

Nowadays, some people are choosing self-employement rather than having a job at a company or an organization. In my opinion, it is mainly because of the high earning potential and freedom provided in self-employement. It can result in severe competition for future startups and lack of employees for organizations.

As we know that people are really frustrated and happy from what they earn and how much they work for their employer. Self-employement provide more opportunities to generate substantial wealth as it has higher earning potential because every decision has a different result as compared to a job which provides the same amount of money for whatever you do. Furthermore, it offers freedom of experimenting and deadlines. For instance, a person can decide what he wants to make and when to make without worrying about strict deadlines.

It also has many downsides as it can cause shortage of employees in many sectors and severe competition to new startups. If everyone wants to be self-employed so there will be a lack of workers in many fields which can result in improper functioning of workplaces. For example, if there is no one to answer the queries and book appointments in a clinic so the doctor has to do these tasks himself, which will lead to waste of time. Another drawback is that it will result in severe competition for new startups which will make it harder for an amateur to adjust and promote his business. As a result a higher rate of poverty can be expected because of the failed business ideas.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses both questions and gives a clear explanation for choosing self-employment: higher earning potential and greater freedom. The disadvantages are also relevant, particularly possible staffing shortages and the difficulty new businesses face in competition. The clinic example helps illustrate how a shortage of employees could affect an organisation. However, some claims need fuller explanation or more careful qualification. For example, the link between competition, failed business ideas and “a higher rate of poverty” is asserted rather than demonstrated, and the point about freedom from deadlines could be explained more precisely. Develop each main idea with a clearer cause-and-effect explanation or a specific example, and avoid presenting broad outcomes as inevitable.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay has a coherent overall arrangement: an introduction, a paragraph explaining the appeal of self-employment, and a paragraph on its disadvantages. The ideas generally progress in a sensible order, and signposts such as “Furthermore,” “For instance,” and “Another drawback” help readers follow the discussion. Some connections are less smooth or precise, however. The opening of the second paragraph, “As we know that,” does not form a clear link to the preceding claim, and the transition from competition to poverty in the final sentence is abrupt. The essay would be easier to follow if each paragraph developed one central point in a more deliberate sequence and if linking phrases expressed the exact relationship between ideas rather than simply announcing another point.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

There is an adequate range of vocabulary for the topic, including “earning potential,” “substantial wealth,” “shortage of employees,” and “improper functioning.” These choices allow the writer to discuss both benefits and drawbacks, and the meaning is generally clear. Some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward, such as “frustrated and happy from what they earn,” “freedom of experimenting and deadlines,” and “adjust and promote his business.” The spelling of “self-employment” is also inconsistent and incorrect in several places. Aim for more natural combinations and precise wording, and check spelling carefully. Using a few well-controlled topic-specific expressions would make the argument sound more fluent without relying on repeated references to self-employment and competition.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including clauses with “because,” “which,” and “if.” Most sentences communicate the intended meaning, but some grammatical errors remain. For example, “Self-employment provide” needs subject–verb agreement, while “If everyone wants to be self-employed so there will be” combines two incompatible ways of forming a conditional result. The sentence beginning “As we know that” is also structurally awkward, and “a person can decide what he wants to make and when to make” lacks a clear object in the final clause. Review agreement, conditional sentence patterns, and clause construction. Greater control of these structures would make the argument clearer while preserving the variety already attempted.

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