Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-18
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)
In my opinion, the digitalization of entertaining material (Drama, Movie, entertaining talkshows) is good as compared to the conventional Cinemas and Theatres.
Using online methods to approach the entertainment is bit easy and one can be independent to time to watch the entertainment serials.
People having their reviews on 'online way to approach entertainment is easy and flexible as anyone can use different online gadgets to assess the entertainment.
Social media is growing rapidly, to entertain the people, as one can use his mobile to get access to unlimited entertainment without going anywhere. He can assess the entertainment through the internet which is just one click away.
Online entertainment sources give you freedom to get entertained at any time and anywhere, you have independence of time and location. And this is quite simple and easy way to get entertained, you don't have to book any tickets of theatre or cinema, which is a bit hard to assess entertainment.
The Online way to get in touch with entertainment is much economical as there are small packages or subscriptions required to access the entertainment, Although there are so many sources from where you can access the entertainment almost free such as YouTube, Facebook and other sites.
Accessing online is not much appreciated culturally as most of people believe that our culture teaches us to follow the conventional ways to get entertained. Going to Cinema and theatre with friends or family is quite memorable.
Accessing entertainment via theatre or cinema is a bit expensive and requirment is to visit these places to get entertainment. While this is more entertaining as to get physically refreshed.
Visiting cinema or theatre are culturally good as many people like to watch live entertainment as compared to recorded.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses both views regarding the importance of digital entertainment versus traditional venues. However, the development is somewhat repetitive, particularly in the first half where the benefits of online access are restated multiple times without adding new depth. While you state your opinion in the introduction, the essay lacks a clear, structured conclusion that synthesizes your arguments. The discussion of the cultural importance of cinemas is brief compared to the digital side. To improve, ensure each paragraph introduces a distinct, well-supported point rather than circling back to the same ideas about convenience and cost.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into paragraphs, but the flow between ideas is often mechanical. You rely heavily on simple sentence structures and lack a variety of cohesive devices to link your arguments logically. For example, the transition between the benefits of online entertainment and the cultural value of cinemas is abrupt. The use of referencing is sometimes unclear, such as in the sentence 'People having their reviews on...', which makes the connection to the previous point difficult to follow. Improving the use of linking words like 'furthermore', 'consequently', or 'in contrast' would significantly enhance the logical progression of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but remains quite basic and repetitive. You frequently use the word 'entertainment' and 'access' (often misused as 'assess'), which limits the sophistication of your response. There are also instances of word-choice errors, such as using 'assess' when you mean 'access' or 'approach'. To reach a higher band, you should aim to use a wider range of collocations and topic-specific vocabulary related to media, economics, and cultural heritage, while ensuring that words are used in their correct context.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Common issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'People having their reviews'), incorrect preposition usage, and awkward phrasing (e.g., 'one can be independent to time'). Punctuation is generally functional, but the sentence construction often feels fragmented. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence patterns and proofreading for common errors like article usage and verb forms. Increasing the variety of complex structures while maintaining accuracy will help you achieve a higher score.
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.