Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-13

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 fair quantity of people believe that watching movies in online are a great experience rather than watching it in a theater. Other people believe that this situation can cause several financial and traditional issues in society. However, as far my opinion is concerned I tend to support former view.

On the one hand, entertainment plays a major role in an individual's life for their mental and physical health. Example as, a person who had a hectic schedule in his office or at working place may lead to stress and body pain, if that person watch some drama or movie in theater, it would be helpful. Moreover, watching movies in the cinema can support poor people who are working there.

On the other hand, there are some online websites who provide all movies access to watch them on mobile phone or on computer. For instance, online platforms like, Netflix and Amazon prime. Furthermore, it is very convenient for people to watch their favorite shows anywhere and anytime.

However, In my opinion, to run any theater they require a large quantity of staff members for services, so that the workers can get work and this theater might help to balance economy of particular city. In addition, cinemas are essential to maintain culture and tradition of the city, so tourists can see the historical cultures of that place.

To conclude, I would like to support the view which suggest that cinemas and theaters are best source of entertainment for people and also it enhances and shows country's financial and cultural background.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both views and provides a personal opinion, though the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. You mention that theaters are important for the economy and culture, but the arguments lack depth and specific examples. For instance, the point about 'poor people working there' is vague and could be better articulated as 'job creation' or 'supporting the local service industry.' Additionally, your position is slightly contradictory; you state in the introduction that you support the 'former view' (that theaters are no longer important), but your body paragraphs and conclusion argue in favor of their importance. This inconsistency makes your overall position unclear.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand,' 'On the other hand,' and 'In addition' to transition between ideas. However, the logical progression within paragraphs is sometimes weak. For example, the jump from discussing mental health to the employment of theater staff is abrupt. Furthermore, some referencing is unclear, such as the use of 'former view' when your subsequent arguments actually support the 'latter view.' Improving the use of linking words to show contrast and cause-effect relationships would enhance the flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band. You rely on simple phrasing like 'fair quantity of people' and 'all movies access.' There are also some awkward collocations, such as 'watching movies in online' (should be 'watching movies online') and 'balance economy of particular city' (should be 'boost the local economy'). To improve, try to incorporate more sophisticated topic-specific vocabulary related to the film industry, digital media, and economic impact, and focus on using words in their correct grammatical context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Common issues include missing articles (e.g., 'in theater' instead of 'in a theater'), incorrect preposition usage, and subject-verb agreement errors (e.g., 'there are some online websites who provide'). While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. Focusing on basic sentence construction and proofreading for small grammatical slips would significantly improve the quality of your writing.

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