Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-05

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)

A significant proportion of the population argue that in the digital age cinemas are no longer important while others believe that they play a essential role both economically and culturally.

Over recent years this issue has become a hotly debated issue in society.This is a controversial topic because because it relates how we consume art and spend our leisure time. While, i accept that the online platforms are convenient,I believe that the cinemas and theatres are playing an irreplaceable role .This essay will examine both perspectives before explaining why i support this latter view.

Some people believe that cinemas and theatres are no longer paramount because in modern world everyone is accessible to phone .For instance people in the past goes to theatres or cinemas to watch movies because they don;t have mobile phones and they have a craze about it to watch it on the big screen but now everyone can watch it on their phones.

Another compelling reason why people hold this belief that due to technological development every room can be created like a theatre because of projectors.These projectors can easily placed everywhere and they are so convenient to use .You can easily access it with your mobile phone .

While some argue that cinemas are important because they express the culture .Cinema shows local films and culture that streaming ignores.For instance,lolly wood releases films on eid that has become a part of culture.People go to cinema as a social event.Moreover it also plays a crucial role in the economy,For example it gives a lot of job opportunities to the people that are unemployed and also it generates a lot of yearly income which helps to grow economy.

From my perspective i strongly believe that cinemas are still essential because it offers to spend your leisure time and also to connect with peoples.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both perspectives and provides a clear personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat uneven. The arguments regarding technological convenience are clear, but the cultural and economic points in the third body paragraph are under-developed and rely on generalisations. While the prompt is addressed, the depth of analysis is limited, preventing a higher score. The conclusion is also quite brief and does not fully synthesise the points raised in the body paragraphs.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or repetitive (e.g., 'For instance', 'Moreover'). There are instances where the flow between sentences is disjointed, particularly in the second paragraph where the transition between the introduction and the first body paragraph feels abrupt. Referencing is sometimes unclear, and the logical progression of ideas could be improved with more varied linking words and better paragraph internal structure.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band. There is some repetition of basic terms like 'cinemas', 'theatres', and 'important'. While the student attempts to use topic-specific vocabulary such as 'paramount' and 'irreplaceable', the overall range is limited. There are also minor errors in word choice, such as 'everyone is accessible to phone', which should be 'everyone has access to a phone'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'people in the past goes'), punctuation errors (e.g., 'don;t'), and missing articles. Additionally, there are repetitive errors such as 'because because' in the introduction. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to demonstrate a lack of control over complex structures, which is a characteristic of the Band 6 level.

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

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