Free Resources / Writing Sample Answers

Cambridge 14 Writing Task 2 Test 4 - Sample Answers (Band 9 to 4-5)

Real band 9, 8, 7 and 6.5 sample answers for this prompt, plus a genuine band 4-5 answer so you can see exactly what pulls a score down. Every sample comes with examiner-style notes on Task Response, Coherence & Cohesion, Lexical Resource and Grammatical Range & Accuracy.

The Prompt

Self-Employment - Why People Choose It and Its Potential Disadvantages

An increasing number of people choose to work for themselves rather than being employed by a company or organisation.

Why do people decide to be self-employed?

What are the possible disadvantages of being self-employed?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Write at least 250 words.

Want feedback like this on your own writing?

Sign up free →

Band 9

268 words

Gives genuinely equal, well-developed treatment to both halves of the two-part question rather than favouring one side.

An increasing number of people now choose to work for themselves rather than for a traditional employer, and while the reasons behind this shift are largely positive, self-employment also carries genuine risks that are often underestimated.

People choose self-employment for several compelling reasons. The most obvious is autonomy: setting one's own hours, choosing which projects to accept, and being directly rewarded for one's own effort rather than sharing credit with an organisation. Advances in technology have also made self-employment far more feasible than in the past, allowing freelancers and small business owners to reach clients globally through the internet, something that would have been unimaginable a generation ago.

However, self-employment carries significant disadvantages that are easy to overlook. Income is often unpredictable, particularly in the early years, which can create serious financial stress, especially for those with dependants. Self-employed individuals also typically lose access to benefits that employees take for granted, such as paid sick leave, employer-funded healthcare, and pension contributions, all of which they must now arrange and fund entirely themselves. Additionally, the isolation of working alone, without colleagues or the structure of an office environment, can affect both motivation and mental wellbeing over time. These risks mean that self-employment tends to suit people who are naturally self-disciplined and comfortable with financial uncertainty far better than those who value stability and structure.

In conclusion, while the independence and flexibility of self-employment explain its growing appeal, the financial instability and loss of employment benefits it entails mean it is not a decision to be taken lightly, and it suits some personalities and life circumstances far better than others.

Examiner Notes

Task Response: Fully addresses both why people choose self-employment and its disadvantages, with well-developed reasoning on each side and no imbalance between the two parts of the question.

Coherence & Cohesion: Each paragraph carries a distinct function, and cohesive devices ("however", "in conclusion") link causes and disadvantages naturally throughout.

Lexical Resource: Wide range of precise vocabulary ("autonomy", "dependants", "unimaginable a generation ago") used with natural collocation.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy: Wide range of complex structures, including relative clauses and non-finite clauses, used with full accuracy.

Band 8

252 words

Balanced and clearly argued, just slightly more general in its supporting detail than a band 9 answer.

More and more people are choosing to work for themselves instead of being employed by a company, and while there are clear benefits to this, there are also some real disadvantages to consider.

There are several reasons people choose self-employment. One major reason is independence, since working for yourself means you can choose your own hours and decide which projects or clients to work with, rather than following someone else's instructions. Technology has also made this easier than before, allowing people to work with clients anywhere in the world through the internet.

However, self-employment also has some serious disadvantages. Income can be unpredictable, especially in the beginning, which can cause financial stress for people who have families to support. Self-employed people also usually do not get benefits that regular employees have, such as paid sick leave, health insurance, or a pension, so they need to arrange and pay for these things themselves. Working alone can also feel isolating without colleagues or a normal office environment. These risks mean that self-employment is not equally suitable for everyone, and it tends to work best for people who are naturally comfortable with uncertainty and do not mind managing their own schedule, insurance, and savings without any outside support. This is a genuinely important factor for anyone to consider before making the switch.

In conclusion, while the freedom and independence of self-employment make it attractive to many people, the financial risks and loss of employee benefits mean it is not always the right choice for everyone.

Examiner Notes

Task Response: Fully addresses both parts of the question with clear, well-supported reasoning, though the points made are slightly more general than the band 9 answer's.

Coherence & Cohesion: Clear four-paragraph structure with accurate cohesive devices throughout.

Lexical Resource: Good range of vocabulary, though "some real disadvantages" is more general than the higher-band answer's more specific phrasing.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy: Mostly accurate complex sentences with only rare minor slips.

Band 7

255 words

A clear, well-reasoned answer that would be stronger with one concrete example to anchor its argument.

More people are choosing to work for themselves instead of working for a company these days. I will discuss why people choose this, and also the possible disadvantages.

One reason people choose to be self-employed is that they want more freedom, such as choosing their own working hours and deciding what kind of work to do, instead of following a boss's instructions. Technology has also made it easier to be self-employed, because people can now find clients and customers online from anywhere in the world.

However, there are also some disadvantages to being self-employed. One big disadvantage is that income can be unpredictable, especially at the beginning, which can be stressful for people who have a family to support. Self-employed people also usually do not get benefits like paid sick leave or health insurance, which employees normally receive from their company. These are important risks to think about, because someone who leaves a stable job for self-employment might struggle if they are not prepared for months where they earn very little money or have to cover unexpected costs completely on their own. This kind of uncertainty is one of the main reasons some people decide self-employment is not right for them after all.

In my opinion, self-employment can be a good choice for some people, but it also comes with real risks that should be carefully considered before making the decision.

In conclusion, self-employment offers freedom and independence, but it also has serious disadvantages related to income and benefits that people need to think about.

Examiner Notes

Task Response: Addresses both why people choose self-employment and its disadvantages, but no specific real-world example is used to support either part, unlike the higher-band answers.

Coherence & Cohesion: Organised logically with reasons and disadvantages in separate paragraphs; cohesive devices ("However", "In conclusion") are accurate but predictable.

Lexical Resource: Adequate range for the task, with some repetition of "self-employed" and "disadvantage" throughout.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy: Generally accurate mix of simple and complex sentences; meaning is always clear.

Band 6.5

250 words

Both parts of the question are addressed clearly, but agreement errors on nearly every key task word noticeably lower the score.

More people are choosing to work for themself instead of working for company these day. I will discuss why people choose this, and also the possible disadvantage.

One reason people choose to be self-employed is that they want more freedom, such as choosing their own working hour and deciding what kind of work to do, instead of following boss instruction. Technology has also made it easier to be self-employed, because people can now find client and customer online from anywhere in the world.

However, there is also some disadvantage to being self-employed. One big disadvantage is that income can be unpredictable, especially at the beginning, which can be stressful for people who have family to support. Self-employed people also usually do not get benefit like paid sick leave or health insurance, which employee normally receive from their company. These are important risk to think about, because someone who leave stable job for self-employment might struggle if they are not prepare for month where they earn very little money or have to cover unexpected cost completely on their own. This kind of uncertainty is one of the main reason some people decide self-employment is not right for them after all.

In my opinion, self-employment can be good choice for some people, but it also come with real risk that should be carefully consider before making the decision.

In conclusion, self-employment offer freedom and independence, but it also have serious disadvantage related to income and benefit that people need to think about.

Examiner Notes

Task Response: Addresses both parts of the question, matching the content of the band 7 answer, but grammar errors throughout reduce clarity.

Coherence & Cohesion: Follows the same two-part structure as the higher-band answers.

Lexical Resource: Limited by missing plurals on key task words ("hour", "client", "disadvantage") used throughout instead of their plural forms.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy: Frequent subject-verb agreement errors ("they want more freedom, such as choosing their own working hour", "there is also some disadvantage", "employee normally receive") appear on nearly every sentence.

Band 4-5 - What to Avoid

39 words

States one reason and one disadvantage but never develops either part of the two-part question, and stays well under the required length.

Many people want to work for self now, not for company.

They want free time and can work when they want, this is good reason.

But no money sometime, this is bad, this is my opinion about this topic.

Examiner Notes

Task Response: Both why people choose self-employment and its disadvantages are given only a single unsupported sentence each, so neither part of the two-part question is genuinely developed. At well under 250 words, the response is also underlength.

Coherence & Cohesion: Paragraphs are short, disconnected statements with minimal linking beyond "But".

Lexical Resource: Vocabulary is basic and repetitive ("good", "bad", "free time") with little variation.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy: Frequent errors throughout ("Many people want to work for self", "no money sometime").

Practise this exact prompt yourself, with a live timer and word count

Free to sign up, no credit card required.

Sign Up Free →

These sample answers are written independently for Prep IELTS Now to illustrate real band-score differences. They are a study aid, not official Cambridge or IELTS material.