Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-19
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)
We live in modern world where everything is one click away. In this digital age, people can watch all the entertainment online. Some people argue that cinemas and theatres are both essential economically and culturally. I admit on it because people like changes in their life and it is better to keep this in mind. In the up coming paragraphs, I shall explain why cinemas play an important role.
In today's era, people are more into not staying at home. They seek entertainment and for that reason watching movies in cell phone at home is not much of a pleasure. Moreover, some people feel excited watching live performances. They can feel emotions and excitement more closely. Another point is that economically theaters and cinemas are best for advertisments and earning money.
In the past, people didn't have access to mobile phones or television. If we keep that in mind, people from cultural background feels pleasure by doing rituals their ancestors had done once. Few of them have old fashioned lifestyle. They like vintage themed stuff for instance cars, musics playing on vinyl record, historical places and theatres is one of them. Besides, new movies are not available online for some period of time. If someone had waited for a season to air for a decade, they run over to cinemas to kill wait they have been doing for years. Ultimately, it satisfy their desire.
On the other hand, their are people who don't like outings much. They prefer comfort zone over anything. So for them watching entertainment online is better option.
In my conclusion, cinemas and theatres are still equally important both economicallly and culturally. Because if anyone enjoy gatherings and hangouts cinema is better option and it benefits our economy too.
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 sides of the argument and provides a clear personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. For example, the point about cinemas being 'best for advertisements' is not fully explained or linked to the broader economic argument. The argument regarding 'vintage themed stuff' is a bit tangential and does not strongly support the cultural importance of cinemas in the modern era. While the prompt is addressed, the supporting arguments lack depth and analytical rigor, often relying on generalizations rather than concrete examples or logical progression. To improve, focus on expanding each point with specific evidence or clearer reasoning.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into paragraphs, and there is a basic logical flow. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'I admit on it' or 'If we keep that in mind'. Referencing is sometimes unclear; for instance, the transition between the historical context and the argument about new movies is abrupt. The paragraphing is functional, but the internal structure of the paragraphs could be improved to ensure that each sentence builds logically upon the previous one. The conclusion is a bit repetitive and does not effectively synthesize the arguments presented in the body paragraphs.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band. There are instances of awkward phrasing, such as 'watching movies in cell phone' (should be 'on a mobile phone') and 'kill wait' (should be 'end the wait'). The range is somewhat limited, relying on basic descriptors like 'important' and 'pleasure'. While the meaning is generally clear, the lack of sophisticated collocations and the occasional misuse of words (e.g., 'I admit on it') indicate a need for more precise and varied lexical choices to convey ideas more effectively.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow. Common issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'people from cultural background feels'), article usage (e.g., 'in modern world'), and preposition errors. Punctuation is generally acceptable, but some sentences are clunky due to poor word order. While the writer attempts complex structures, they are not always error-free. To reach a higher band, the student should focus on mastering basic sentence construction and reducing the frequency of errors in articles and verb forms.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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