Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

In the digital age, people have access to a wide range of entertainment through online platforms, leading some to argue that theaters and cinemas are becoming unnecessary. Others, however, believe that these venues continue to play an important role in society. In my opinion, although online entertainment is convenient theaters and cinemas remain valuable as they provide unique social and cultural experiences.

One reason why some people believe that theaters and cinemas are becoming less important is the rapid growth of online entertainment platforms. Nowadays, people can watch, films, dramas and live entertainment from the comfort of their homes through streaming platforms. This is particularly convenient as viewers can choose what they want to watch anytime without the need to travel and pay for expensive tickets. Moreover, these platforms provide a greater variety at a low cost. For example, a family can subscribe to a streaming channel and watch numerous films at a monthly cost while visiting a cinema can be really expensive.

On the other hand, theater and cinemas continue to play an important role in society, both economically and culturally. Firstly, these venues create employment opportunities for a large number of people including, actors, director, cleaners and other staff. Secondly watching a movie in a theater provides a shared social experience. People can get a chance to enjoy with their friends and family that cannot be totally replicated at home. In additions, theaters also preserve cultural traditions by presenting plays and performances.

For these reasons, I believe, although online platforms are convenient, cheap and available at flexible hours cinemas and theaters will remain valuable places for traditional, employment and shared entertainment.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both views and providing a clear personal opinion in the introduction and conclusion. The ideas are relevant and logically developed. For instance, the economic and cultural arguments for cinemas are clearly presented. However, the development of some points could be more extensive to reach a higher band. While the arguments are sound, they remain somewhat general. To improve, you could provide more specific examples, such as mentioning how local cinemas support small businesses or how specific cultural festivals rely on these venues, rather than relying on general statements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the transition between the two viewpoints is smooth. You use a variety of cohesive devices such as 'Moreover', 'On the other hand', and 'Firstly'. However, there are minor punctuation errors that slightly affect the flow, such as the unnecessary comma in 'including, actors, director'. Additionally, some cohesive links are a bit mechanical. Improving the variety of linking phrases and ensuring punctuation is precise would help the flow feel more natural and sophisticated.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your ideas clearly. Phrases like 'rapid growth of online entertainment platforms' and 'employment opportunities' are appropriate for the topic. However, the vocabulary is somewhat functional rather than sophisticated. There are instances where word choice could be more precise, such as using 'really expensive' which is quite informal for an academic essay. To reach a higher band, aim to incorporate more topic-specific collocations and less common lexical items to demonstrate greater flexibility and precision in your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Most of your sentences are clear and easy to follow. However, there are several grammatical slips, such as 'watch, films, dramas' (unnecessary commas) and 'In additions' (should be 'In addition'). You also have minor issues with pluralization and article usage, such as 'a monthly cost' vs 'monthly costs'. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on proofreading for subject-verb agreement and punctuation will significantly improve your accuracy.

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