Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-09

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)

Different individuals are of the opinion that theaters and cinemas are less important in the technology time as people can now entertain themselves via different social platforms and some are debating on such mentality of the necessity or presence of the above mentioned entertainment parks with stand on its economic cum cultural importance.

On the one hand, I agree with some persons who see the availability of theaters and cinemas as unimportant in the digital age due to how private I see life because these are places one doesn't go alone or stay alone, if you're going to such places, you must go as a group or even if you decide to go alone, you must definitely meet other people when you get there, so there's nothing like privacy in such places. Also, for us with such idea, we might be saying it for either educational or health reasons, educational in the sense that there is probably a program you had in mind to go and see or watch, but due to the crowded nature of the place, one will be discouraged, in addition, talking about the health implication, so many people do not like to stay where some people with some or particular sickness are, and as we all know, theatres and cinemas are where every dick, Tom and Harry goes and you don't know who has a transmittable disease or not. I remember vividly visiting one of the cinemas in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state while I was living there during my youth service days, I went there with a couple of friends and when it was time to show my preferred movie, the man sitting beside me had cough and as fast as cough can be transmitted, this man didn't come with a handkerchief, he continued coughing till I became uncomfortable staying there, I stood up, called my friends and we left without completing the movie.

On the other hand, other people are saying that the availability of theatres and cinemas are important because there are people that can't stay alone, they have not mastered the skill of privatizing their life and to such people, they are always begging for these entertainment parks to always be active.

In conclusion, I am of the opinion that cinemas and theatres are no longer needed as we have our private lives to live and as long as we have our digital gadgets, that solves the puzzle.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both views, but the development is unbalanced. While you provide a personal anecdote to support the view that cinemas are unimportant, the counter-argument regarding the economic and cultural importance of these venues is significantly under-developed, consisting of only one sentence. To achieve a higher band, you must provide equal weight and depth to both sides of the argument. Furthermore, the focus on 'privacy' and 'health' as primary reasons for the decline of cinemas is somewhat narrow and does not fully engage with the broader cultural or economic implications requested by the prompt.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay uses basic cohesive devices like 'On the one hand' and 'In conclusion', which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the paragraphing is problematic; the second paragraph is excessively long and contains several disparate ideas that would be better served by being split into smaller, more focused paragraphs. Additionally, some transitions are mechanical or repetitive, and the flow between the personal anecdote and the main argument is somewhat disjointed. Improving the logical progression between sentences would enhance the overall coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your meaning, but the word choice is often informal or imprecise. Phrases like 'every dick, Tom and Harry' are idiomatic but inappropriate for an academic essay. You also rely on repetitive phrasing, such as 'entertainment parks' and 'stay alone'. To improve, focus on using more academic collocations and precise terminology. For example, instead of 'technology time', use 'the digital era'. Expanding your range to include more sophisticated vocabulary related to the topic would help you move into a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede readability. Issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'theatres and cinemas are important because there are people that can't stay alone'), awkward phrasing (e.g., 'some are debating on such mentality'), and run-on sentences. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma splices. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors suggests a need for more careful proofreading and a better grasp of complex sentence construction.

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