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)
Some individual thinks that the change in digital technology has affected theatres and cinemas and they are no longer important as now people can watch all the movies online. The others argued that both theatres and cinemas has vital role in economical as well as cultural value of country. I strongly believe, we should support theatres and cinemas.
Firstly, those who prefer watching online movies has a solid reason because now they do not have to travel to theatres and wait in queues to watch a movie, that is a waste of time. For example, after a long working day if someone have to watch a movie they can google it and can start watching it.
On the other hand, theatres have been a source of entertainment for a very long time and it has its cultural values. People love watching live emotions and experienced it. Theatres and cinemas has a important role in economy as people spend money and buy tickets to watch it as well as it also a source of employment for people, for instance, when people went out to watch a movie or theatre they spend money and appreciate their artwork and because of this success, more project started and a lot of people get hired to complete a work.
In conclusion, I strongly believe that we should support theatres and cinemas and trying to go out with friends and family to have a great time instead of just watching it online.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses both views and provides a clear personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited, particularly in the second body paragraph, where the economic argument is repetitive and lacks specific, concrete examples. The essay also falls slightly short of the 250-word minimum requirement, which negatively impacts the overall task completion. To improve, you should expand on your arguments with more detailed explanations and ensure you meet the minimum word count to fully explore the prompt's requirements.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear progression of ideas. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion' to signal the structure. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the phrase 'watch it' referring to 'theatre' in the third paragraph. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that pronouns clearly refer back to their antecedents would enhance the coherence of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You rely on somewhat repetitive phrasing, such as 'watch a movie' and 'spend money'. There are also minor errors in word choice, such as 'experienced it' instead of 'experiencing it'. To reach a higher band, you should incorporate more sophisticated vocabulary related to the topic, such as 'cinematic experience', 'cultural heritage', or 'economic contribution', and ensure accurate word forms.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
There is a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but the accuracy is inconsistent. You have several subject-verb agreement errors, such as 'Some individual thinks' (should be 'Some individuals think') and 'theatres and cinemas has' (should be 'have'). Additionally, there are issues with article usage and tense consistency. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to lower the score. Focusing on proofreading for basic grammatical agreements will significantly improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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