Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-15

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 7.0)

In today's digital era, various online streaming platforms have been introduced. It allows people to stream and enjoy movies through their smartphones and televisions. These advancements have led some people to argue that, nowadays theatres and cinemas are no longer important as everyone can watch all the entertainment they want online. On the other hand, some people say that theatres and cinemas are still economically and culturally important. In my opinion, despite the technological advancement and online availability of various forms of entertainment, cinemas and theatres are still relevant and important, given the fact that watching a movie in a cinema offers considerably better experience than doing so at home. Moreover, experiencing movies and theatrical plays with a larger number of audience is a historical and cultural tradition since many decades.

Streaming platforms such as Netflix, Prime Video and YouTube have been increasingly popular these days. As these platforms allow people the access to a large array of entertaining content to choose form. Moreover, by the use of such applications people can consume entertaining content whenever and wherever they want. This availability has led some people to argue that cinemas and theatres are no longer relevant. For example, according to a study by Time of India, it was brought forward that, foot falls at various popular cinema houses have been decreased significantly through the last decade mainly due to the effect of the pandemic lockdown, due to which the cinemas remained closed for almost a year. In the meantime when the cinemas were inoperative people chose the online form of entertainment. They preferred to stick with it even after cinemas became operative again. This indicates that a significant proportion of audience prefer online on-demand entertainment with the comfort of their homes instead of visiting cinemas or theatres where the show timings are fixed and traveling is involved.

However, it is a well known fact that the experience of watching a movie in a cinema is much more immersive than doing so online. Moreover, movies are made especially to be watched in a cinema on a bigger screen. Hence, the experience is incomparable to online streaming. Additionally, watching cultural and historical dramas and plays in a theatre with a large audience has been a historical practice followed by the society since several decades. Despite some people choosing online streaming, there remains still a large proportion of the population, including old age people and movie enthusiasts, who prefer going to cinemas and theatres. For instance, there is still a large proportion of senior citizens who are unfamiliar with the modern technology and are unwilling to adapt it. Consequently, those people choose to visit cinemas and theatres for entertainment. The revenue from sales of movie tickets in local cinemas also contributes to the local economy, which is not in the case with online streaming services owned by foreign corporations.

In conclusion, modern technologies and streaming services have made media consumption and entertainment easier and convenient. Still it is a very popular practice to visit to cinemas and theatres for a more immersive experience. Moreover, older generation still prefer to visit cinemas and theatres. Hence, despite the larger popularity of digital streaming services, cinemas and theatres are still relevant and important both culturally and economically.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both perspectives and providing a clear personal opinion. The ideas are well-developed, particularly the contrast between the convenience of streaming and the immersive, social experience of cinemas. The argument regarding economic impact is also relevant. While the essay is well-supported, some points, such as the claim about senior citizens' unwillingness to adapt to technology, could be considered a slight over-generalisation. However, the position is consistent throughout, and the response effectively balances the two sides of the argument while maintaining a clear stance.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organised with a clear progression of ideas. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the introduction, the two body paragraphs, and the conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'Moreover', 'However', 'Hence', and 'In conclusion' are used to link ideas smoothly. There is some minor repetition in the use of transition words, and occasionally the referencing could be slightly more refined, but the overall flow is natural and easy to follow. The logical structure ensures that the reader can easily track the development of the argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The range of vocabulary is sufficient to discuss the topic with precision. The student uses appropriate terms such as 'immersive', 'inoperative', 'media consumption', and 'streaming platforms'. There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice or collocation, such as 'choose form' (should be 'choose from') and 'since many decades' (should be 'for many decades'). Despite these occasional slips, the vocabulary is varied enough to convey complex ideas clearly and effectively throughout the response.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The student demonstrates a good control of a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several error-free sentences, and the grammar is generally accurate. Some minor errors persist, such as 'foot falls... have been decreased' (passive voice error) and 'unwilling to adapt it' (should be 'adapt to it'). Punctuation is generally sound, though some comma usage is slightly inconsistent. These errors are non-systematic and do not impede communication, reflecting a solid command of grammatical structures suitable for this level.

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