Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-12

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)

In this advanced era, most of the people think that theatres and cinemas are no longer important as people can watch all the movies online but others argue that theatres and cinemas are still more important both economically and culturally.

In this modern era, mostly people don't go to cinemas and theatres to watch all the entertainment they want online, they prefer staying at home and watching it online through a laptop or mobile phones because nowadays there are hundreds of online platforms where they could watch any movie which could be more convinient for them. Some of them don't have a budget to buy a ticket for cinema thats why they just watch it on free websites.

People who gives importance to cinemas and theatres are the people who mostly go out with their friends, couples and families, they prefer mostly going out together. Cinemas and theatres have their own atmosphere, it is like an unreal experience that everyone should have once in their life time, if i talk about picture quality its the best in cinemas compared to the websites. Nowadays outdoor cinema are introduced where people can watch the movies in open outdoor area which gives people a new experience and you are laying on a bed outside with your partner and enjoying the movie together.

In my opinion people should go and watch the movies in cinemas as it gives more of a real experience and with outdoor cinemas people are really liking that trend.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You present both views and give a clear preference for cinemas, especially through the claim that they offer “more of a real experience.” However, the discussion only partly addresses the prompt: the online-viewing side focuses on convenience and ticket cost, while the case for theatres is mainly about atmosphere and picture quality. The task specifically asks about their economic and cultural importance, and neither is explained in much depth. Your ideas are relevant but need fuller support, such as how cinemas create jobs or contribute to shared cultural life. The response is also 228 words, below the 250-word minimum; 21 words copied from the task prompt were not counted. Develop each side with specific reasons and examples.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, a paragraph about online viewing, a paragraph supporting cinemas, and a concluding opinion. This makes the main direction understandable. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes weak. For example, the cinema paragraph moves from social outings to picture quality and then outdoor screenings without clearly linking these points to the economic and cultural claims in the question. The opening sentence also repeats much of the prompt, and the conclusion adds little beyond the earlier opinion. Use clearer topic sentences and connect each example to the paragraph’s main point. A more explicit contrast between the two views would make the discussion easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including “online platforms,” “ticket,” “picture quality,” and “outdoor cinema.” There are also attempts at more descriptive language, such as “real experience” and “atmosphere.” However, the range is limited and several phrases are repetitive or imprecise, particularly repeated references to watching movies “online” and going to cinemas. Some word choices and spelling errors reduce accuracy, including “convinient,” “unreal experience,” and “outdoor area.” Aim for more precise expressions and check spelling. You could also use vocabulary directly related to the task’s economic and cultural dimensions, such as employment, revenue, and shared cultural experiences.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentence forms, and the overall meaning is generally understandable. However, complex sentences are often not controlled successfully. The opening of the second paragraph joins two complete ideas with a comma: “people don't go … online, they prefer staying at home.” There are also recurring errors in agreement and sentence construction, as in “People who gives importance,” and the final paragraph’s “as it gives” has an unclear reference. Other examples include missing apostrophes in “thats” and “life time,” and inconsistent capitalisation of “I.” Use full stops or conjunctions to separate clauses, check subject–verb agreement, and proofread punctuation. More accurate control of these patterns would make your ideas clearer.

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

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