Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-09

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 5.5)

Many people argue that cinemas have become less popular in the modern age, however, some individuals think they are important to culture and economy. I believe that in the era of digital panels, old large screen and hours waiting outside to find a suitable parking have plummeted the number of people that enjoy films in such places.

Theatres and cinemas had always resembled cultural and wealthy lifestyle. Tickets were sold out rapidly within hours and the entire street is flooded with cars. Movies were only advertised by cinemas, which were considered the only place to watch and enjoy this piece of art. This was also connected to the economy, theatres and cinemas established in several places around the city pay mortgage and government sell them lands.

By the time digital panels have arrived, people were shifting to them in a very fast pace. Those panels provide several advantages and luxury to the viewer. Movies are now watched in home without the need to spend hours to find parking areas, which decreased the traffic congestion. In addition, people are now capable to watch whatever they entertain and not restricted to the movies available at the cinema. For example, there are specific channels and online websites that display certain genres, long series and movies.

In conclusion, I believe that cinemas and theatres have had their privilege in the past, but as a result of technology development and the presence of digital screens, watching movies has disconnected to those places and became available at the tip of our hand.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You present a clear overall view that online viewing has reduced the importance of cinemas, and you include relevant points about convenience, choice and traffic. However, the discussion is uneven: the paragraph on the continuing cultural and economic importance of cinemas mainly describes their past popularity, and the economic point about paying mortgages and the government selling land is not clearly connected to wider benefits. The opposing view therefore receives limited development, while the advantages of online viewing are explained more fully. To strengthen the response, explain how cinemas still support jobs, local businesses or shared cultural experiences, then weigh these against the convenience of streaming and make your position explicit throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, separate discussion paragraphs and a conclusion. The progression from cinemas’ former popularity to the rise of digital viewing is generally understandable, and phrases such as “In addition” and “For example” help signal relationships between ideas. However, the first body paragraph does not clearly develop the economic argument, and some links between claims are abrupt: the reference to mortgages and land does not explain how these demonstrate economic importance. The conclusion repeats the preference for digital viewing rather than drawing together the two sides. Use clearer topic sentences and connect each example directly to the point it supports; also make references such as “those panels” more precise.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some topic-related vocabulary, including “traffic congestion,” “genres,” “advertised” and “cultural,” and the reader can generally understand your meaning. There are also attempts to express ideas beyond basic vocabulary, such as “the entire street is flooded with cars.” However, several word choices and collocations are noticeably inaccurate or unnatural, which sometimes makes the intended meaning less clear. For example, “digital panels” is not a natural way to refer to online viewing or streaming, and “what they entertain” does not convey the intended idea. “Cinemas have had their privilege” is also unclear. Aim for precise, conventional expressions and check whether each phrase fits its context, rather than choosing a more elaborate-sounding alternative.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of simple and more complex sentences, including a contrast in the opening and a relative clause in “websites that display certain genres.” Meaning is usually recoverable, but errors in sentence construction and verb forms occur often enough to affect clarity. For instance, “Many people argue …, however, some individuals think” joins two independent clauses incorrectly, while “people were shifting to them” uses an unsuitable tense for a general change. There are also errors in patterns such as “capable to watch” and “watching movies has disconnected … and became available.” Practise joining clauses with appropriate punctuation or conjunctions, and check verb forms and complements when revising.

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