Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-20

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

The best way to provide enough homes in large cities is to build tall apartment blocks.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

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

Student answer (Band 4.5)

It is often argued that in the contemporary world, people are less interested in theaters and cinema, because people are easily watching all the entertainment they want to watch online. However others believe that traditional cinemas and theaters are still important both economically and culturally. From my perspective both views are important and play a major role in our lives because without going anywhere we can watch any serial, movies and other sources of entertainment. However, people still love to watch movies in a realistic sitting.

On the one hand, online plate form provides a wide range of entertainment sources. People who are busy in their daily routines and have no time to go anywhere with their loved ones and enjoy movies, web series and other entertainments. Digital plate forms are very convenient for them to watch everything online. This is because everything becomes more easier and accessible. For example if we compare our past lives people have enough time to watch them in theaters but nowadays, lives are too busy people are not willing to go anywhere and enjoy those things and also due to heavy traffic they prefer to stay home and enjoy their time with loved ones. As a result, the number of visitors is decreased in Cinemas and theaters.

On the other hand, in the contemporary era, there are still significant numbers of people who are people to begin watching movies in theaters. The main reason is that it helps to give them a break from our busy routines and also impact on our mental well- being.I also believe that cinemas and theaters represent our culture and traditions which play a major role in our economy. For example, if we watch a movie on a big screen with the one whom we love it would be a great experience. We can also create a beautiful and memorable experience with our families that will stay longer.

In conclusion, the way we watch all entertainment might have changed by several factors, such as social platforms and our lifestyles, compared to past decades. Nevertheless, theatres and cinemas still play an important role in our social life and mental well-being.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 3.0

The candidate has completely misunderstood the essay prompt. Instead of discussing whether tall apartment blocks are the best way to provide enough homes in large cities, the student has written a response about whether traditional theaters and cinemas are still important compared to online streaming platforms. This is a severe off-topic response. Although the writer attempts to present a structured argument and a position regarding online versus traditional entertainment, the core requirements of the Task 2 prompt regarding housing and tall apartment blocks are entirely unaddressed. Consequently, the task response cannot be credited with addressing the actual prompt provided. According to the official band descriptors, a response that is predominantly off-topic or fails to address the specific prompt must receive a low band score in Task Achievement, despite the presence of paragraphs and ideas related to the irrelevant topic.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

Despite the severe content irrelevance, the text exhibits some structural organisation. The essay is divided into clear paragraphs, including an introduction, two body paragraphs presenting contrasting views, and a conclusion. The writer employs basic cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion' to signal the logical progression of ideas. However, paragraphing is somewhat undermined by repetitive phrasing and weak logical transitions within paragraphs. For instance, referencing is occasionally unclear, as seen in the sentence 'compare our past lives people have enough time to watch them in theaters'. The overall arrangement shows a coherent layout, but the mechanical use of cohesive devices and unclear referencing prevent the text from achieving a higher band score.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range for basic communication, utilizing terms such as 'contemporary world', 'economically and culturally', and 'mental well-being'. However, there are numerous lexical inaccuracies and awkward word choices throughout the text. Examples include 'online plate form' instead of 'online platform', 'realistic sitting' instead of 'theater setting', and 'people to begin watching movies' which is unidiomatic and confusing. Repetition of common words like 'entertainment', 'movies', and 'busy' limits the precision of the language. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey a general meaning about the chosen off-topic subject, the persistent errors in word formation and collocation prevent the score from reaching the higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and subordinate conjunctions such as 'because without going anywhere we can watch...' and 'People who are busy...'. However, grammatical accuracy is weak, with frequent errors that occasionally impede understanding. Notable errors include fragment or run-on tendencies, missing prepositions, and tense inconsistencies, such as 'the number of visitors is decreased' instead of 'has decreased', and 'impact on our mental well-being' lacking a clear subject. Punctuation is also erratic in places, such as the spacing error in 'well- being.I also believe'. While the writer demonstrates some control over basic structures, the high frequency of grammatical slips places the response firmly in the lower-middle bands for this criterion.

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