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User-written IELTS example

Writing Academic Task 2 Band 6.0 Example

Original task prompt, user essay, band score, and related examples in the same report workspace.

283 words AcademicTask 2
Task 2

Illustrative target band for this original model answer.

Plan your answer

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Ideas to explore

  • A considered career risk, such as applying for a more demanding role, can build skills even if it does not produce immediate success.
  • Personal risks such as moving to a new place or addressing a difficult issue can encourage independence and improve relationships.
  • Unplanned risks can threaten savings or affect family members, so preparation and a backup plan help reduce potential harm.

Suggested structure

  1. Introduce the topic and state your view on whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.
  2. Explain professional benefits with a specific example and its possible outcome.
  3. Discuss personal benefits using a separate example.
  4. Acknowledge significant disadvantages, including financial or family consequences.
  5. Reach a clear conclusion that weighs the risks and suggests how to manage them.
Useful vocabulary & examples
a calculated risk
A risk taken after considering its possible benefits and consequences.

Applying for a more demanding position can be a calculated risk.

financial security
The condition of having enough money and stability to meet financial needs.

People should consider whether a business decision could affect their financial security.

a backup plan
An alternative course of action prepared in case the first plan does not work.

Having a backup plan can reduce the harm if a new business fails.

weigh the possible outcomes
To consider the likely positive and negative results before deciding.

Before changing jobs, people should weigh the possible outcomes.

Task Prompt

It is important for people to take risks, both in their professional lives and their personal lives. Do you think the advantages of taking risks outweigh the disadvantages?

User Essay Analysis

Review the public answer with report-style highlights.

Band 6.0

It is thought by several people that taking risks in both professional life and personal life plays a pivotal role in an individual’s life. Some of the effects are extremely rewarding while others are not so rewarding, rather they are devastating, which can ruin their lives, including their loved ones. To begin with, taking risks can give people opportunities that they would not have if they always chose the safest option. In professional life, an employee might apply for a more demanding position or start a small business. Although these decisions may not succeed, they can help people develop new skills and become more confident. If they do succeed, they may also lead to better work and greater satisfaction. In personal life, people may take a risk by moving to a new place or having an honest conversation about a difficult problem. These actions can improve their relationships and help them become more independent.

On the other hand, taking risks can have serious disadvantages. A person who invests too much money in a business could lose their savings, while someone who makes a major decision without considering its effect on family members may cause stress for others. Some risks, especially those involving health or financial security, can have consequences that are difficult to reverse. Therefore, people should not take risks simply for excitement or without thinking about what could go wrong.

Overall, I believe the advantages outweigh the disadvantages when people make informed choices. They should consider the possible consequences, seek advice when necessary and prepare a backup plan. With these precautions, taking a risk can be a useful way to make progress, while careless decisions are less likely to cause lasting harm.

Targeted Improvement Tips

1
Clarify your position in the introduction by stating that the benefits outweigh the disadvantages when risks are carefully considered.
2
Develop each example with a brief explanation of its likely benefit or cost, such as how changing jobs could build skills or threaten financial security.
3
Proofread the opening for repeated wording and unclear references; read each long sentence aloud and check that its clauses are joined correctly.

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