Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-06

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Some people say that in the digital age, theatres and cinemas are no longer important as people can watch all the entertainment they want online. Others argue that theatres and cinemas are still important both economically and culturally.

Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

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

Student answer (Band 5.0)

In the digital age, many people are arguing over the topic of theatres and cinema, discussing if it is still as relevant as it was before. Many people believe that theatres and cinemas are no longer important as people can get all the entertainment they want online. Others argue that the theatres and the cinemas are still economically and culturally important.

The digital age has made it very easy for entertainment to be found online, with streaming apps like Netflix, Amazon Prime and Apple TV, most movies or series are available online. It has made it easier for people, who are incapable of taking time out of their jobs to watch a full movie, so they watch it in segments. Watching a movie, these days, in a theatre or a cinema is turning out to be costlier as well, encouraging people to stay at home and enjoy that same movie on a streaming app.

At the same time, watching movies in segments shows how the attention span of the people has decreased so much that they can't even sit for 3 hours to watch a movie. Some movies are worth watching in the theatres but due to the digital age, people have took it for granted and refuse to enjoy a movie in the theatres.

I personally am neutral on this topic. In my opinion, if the movie is worth watching, you can watch it in the theatres or the cinema but one cannot spend tons of movie watching a movie they would regret. These types of movies can be watched online on streaming apps.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You introduce both views and give a personal position, but the discussion does not fully address the task. The online-entertainment side is supported with relevant points about streaming access, busy schedules and cost. However, the opposing view is only briefly suggested through the claim that some films are worth seeing in theatres; the economic and cultural importance named in the prompt is not explained. Your position is also described as “neutral,” and the final paragraph gives a conditional preference rather than a clear, developed opinion. The response is 246 words, below the required 250, and 19 words copied from the task prompt were not counted. To strengthen the response, explain specific economic or cultural benefits and state a clear view supported by an example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, discussion of online viewing, a paragraph about cinema-going, and a conclusion. The transition “At the same time” signals a shift, and the ideas are generally understandable. However, progression is limited because the second body paragraph develops the attention-span point rather than explaining the economic and cultural case for theatres. Some connections are also unclear: “Some movies are worth watching in the theatres but due to the digital age” does not clearly show how the second idea follows from the first. The conclusion repeats the choice between online and cinema viewing without drawing the discussion together. Use topic sentences that match each side of the question, and connect each supporting example explicitly to its main point.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough topic vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including “streaming apps,” “attention span,” “costlier,” and “culturally important.” Naming Netflix, Amazon Prime and Apple TV also makes the online-viewing example concrete. However, some wording is repetitive or imprecise, particularly repeated uses of “movie,” “people,” and “important.” A few expressions are awkward or unclear, such as “spend tons of movie watching a movie” and “people have took it for granted.” These choices make parts of the argument less precise, although the overall meaning remains understandable. Build a wider range of accurate phrases for discussing affordability, audience habits, cultural value and local employment, and check that each expression fits its context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including a relative clause in “people, who are incapable of taking time out of their jobs” and a contrast structure beginning “At the same time.” Most sentences communicate their basic meaning, but errors remain in verb forms, sentence boundaries and punctuation. For example, “people have took it for granted” uses an incorrect past participle, while the opening sentence of the second paragraph joins an introductory phrase and a main clause with a comma. “One cannot spend tons of movie watching” also has an incomplete grammatical pattern. Review irregular verb forms and practise separating long sentences with full stops or using conjunctions accurately. More controlled complex sentences would improve clarity.

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