Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-10

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 4.5)

Theatres and cinemas are still important but not that much as previously was and the rise of digital streaming platform have chnaged the game fully it just depend on people prefrence but other than that there is an additional aspect to this not all new movies directly releases on digital streaming platforms so people tend to watch new movies on cinemas there is also the emergence of 3d cinemas in which people feels like they are sitting in actual movie but in my personal experience both are important i watch new movies in cinema and other time on weekend when i don't want to go out i watch at home.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response4.0
Coherence and Cohesion4.0
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall4.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You give a relevant personal position: you say cinemas and streaming are both important, and your example of watching new films at the cinema but staying home at weekends helps explain that preference. You also mention two relevant points: not all new films are released online immediately, and 3D cinemas offer an immersive experience. However, the response addresses the task only minimally. The economic and cultural importance of theatres and cinemas is not discussed, and the advantages of online entertainment are barely explained. Your opinion is present but not developed into a clear, supported argument. The response is also 140 words below the required minimum, leaving too little space to discuss both views and support your ideas. Develop each side with reasons and examples before reaching a conclusion.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0

The response contains a few connected ideas, including the contrast between watching new releases at cinemas and watching films at home. However, these points are presented in one long, largely unpunctuated sequence, so the reader has to work to identify where one idea ends and another begins. The opening moves from the importance of cinemas to streaming, then to release schedules and 3D, before reaching your personal experience, without clear paragraphing or a consistent progression. Basic linking phrases such as “but” and “other than that” are attempted, but the relationships between points are not always clear. Organise the essay into paragraphs for the two views and your opinion, and use clear transitions to guide the reader through the argument.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “digital streaming platform,” “new movies,” “3D cinemas,” and “preference.” These terms make your main subject understandable, and “sitting in an actual movie” attempts to describe an immersive cinema experience. However, the range is limited for discussing the broader economic and cultural dimensions of the question, and some expressions are imprecise or unnatural, such as “changed the game fully” and “other time on weekend.” Spelling errors, including “chnaged” and “prefrence,” also reduce accuracy. Build a wider set of topic-specific expressions, such as “the film industry,” “shared cultural experience,” and “on-demand entertainment,” and check spelling and collocations when editing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

Your response communicates a basic position and includes some attempts to connect clauses, for example, “but other than that there is an additional aspect to this.” However, the writing relies heavily on a single run-on sentence, with very limited control of sentence boundaries and punctuation. There are also frequent errors in verb forms and agreement: “platform have changed” needs a plural subject or singular verb, while “people feels” should be “people feel.” Other patterns, such as “it just depend” and “as previously was,” are not grammatically controlled. Capitalisation and apostrophes are also inconsistent. Practise writing shorter, complete sentences first, then combine ideas using accurate clauses and punctuation; this will make your argument easier to follow.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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