Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-12

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)

Some peple believe that in this digital world era, watching movies in theater and cinemas are no longer significant for the people as they have other options to watch online. Others consider that theatres and cinemas are still valuable for both cultural and economical activities. This essay will discuss both the view and my perspective will be shared.

Firstly, the movie prices in theatres are more expensive and they are released in online platform after few weeks. People are subscribed to all the entertainment platforms to watch the newly released movies. This makes them very convinient to watch the movie what they want and can pause & play whenever they want. Comparatively the price is cheap and affordable for everyone. For instance, the first day first show movie in the theatre will cost around 20 dollars however, the cost of the subscriptions is 50 dollars per year. In this lakhs of movies and TV shows will be available.

On the other hand, by theaters many are getting employed and some bussiness are running in daily basis. The operator, lightman, technician, housekeeper, ticker checker and few food stall people are employed there and its boosting the economy. Online platforms can't beat the feel of watching a movie in a big screen will full crowded audience in theatre. Only in the theatre it will give you the sensory emotion and the excitment, whenever a mass sequence appears people used to whistle and celebrate moment. For example, my dad used to watch the movies only in theatres to get connected with scene and still continuing it for almost 50 years.

Overall, from my point of view the prices are higher and with the subscriptions people can watch the movie whenever they want, but only by watching a movie in theater will give you the feel and emotion to stay connected. So watching a movie in theatre is better when comapared with watching it in online platform

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both views and providing a clear personal opinion. The ideas are relevant, such as the economic impact of cinemas and the convenience of streaming. However, the development is somewhat uneven. The argument regarding the economic importance of theatres is a bit simplistic, listing job roles rather than discussing broader economic contributions. The personal opinion is clear, but the justification could be more sophisticated. To reach a higher band, ensure that each point is fully extended with more nuanced reasoning rather than relying on basic examples. The response is well-structured and meets the requirements of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Firstly', 'On the other hand', and 'Overall', which help guide the reader through the argument. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical, and there are instances where the flow between sentences is slightly disjointed. For example, the transition between the economic benefits and the sensory experience in the second body paragraph is abrupt. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring smoother transitions between ideas would enhance the coherence of the essay.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express their ideas clearly. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'sensory emotion' and 'economical activities', though some collocations are slightly unnatural, such as 'running in daily basis' instead of 'running on a daily basis'. Spelling errors like 'peple', 'convinient', 'bussiness', and 'comapared' occur throughout the text. While these do not impede communication, they indicate a need for more careful proofreading. To improve, the student should focus on learning more precise collocations and ensuring accurate spelling of common academic terms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('watching movies... are no longer', 'the cost of the subscriptions is 50 dollars') and awkward phrasing ('whenever a mass sequence appears people used to whistle'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage. The errors are noticeable but do not prevent the reader from understanding the writer's position. To achieve a higher band, the student should work on sentence variety and ensure greater accuracy in complex grammatical structures, particularly regarding verb forms and prepositions.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.