Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-20
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)
When the topic of theatres and cinemas are discussed, there are divided opinions. Group of people believe that individual can get recreational online whereas others think that they are essential for economy and culture. Prior to my opinion, both the views are discussed further.
Discussing the former opinion, the supporters argue that online platform provide entertainment. Since the advancement in the technology became advance, it offers many facilities. As a result, many individuals prefer to watch online due to cost effective. For example, Netflix became so popular because it provide wide range of videos related to movies, sports and education. In addition, watching movies in the cinemas become expensive. This is because it provides air condition, comfortable seating and snacks. Therefore, many people choose online for watching videos rather than going to theatre.
On the contrary, the proponents of the latter view, claim that both cinemas and theatre provide employment to many people. This is because it requires security, ticket checking, food service individuals which are required at this places. Hence, it generate revenue and they also pay taxes to the government. Moreover, these are places where people get together. Individuals who go to cinemas can keep touch with friends. Consequently, people can meet and spend quality time with others. For instance, recent survey in India showed that, many audience prefer theatre and cinema for their entertainment.
In conclusion, although theatres and cinemas are essential for both economy and culture, I believe that at the moment, they are not essential because there are many facilities available on online.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| 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 limited. For instance, the economic argument regarding employment is mentioned but not fully explored with specific examples beyond a list of job roles. The conclusion is clear, but the supporting arguments in the body paragraphs rely on generalisations rather than deep analysis. To reach a higher band, you should provide more detailed explanations of how these economic and cultural impacts manifest in society. The position is consistent, but the depth of the discussion needs to be increased to fully satisfy the requirements of the prompt.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. Cohesive devices such as 'On the contrary', 'In addition', and 'Consequently' are used to link ideas. However, some transitions feel mechanical or slightly repetitive. The referencing is generally clear, though some sentences within paragraphs could flow more smoothly. For example, the transition between the economic benefits and the social aspect of cinemas in the second body paragraph is a bit abrupt. Overall, the paragraphing is appropriate, and the progression of ideas is logical, which allows the reader to follow your argument without difficulty.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, such as 'proponents', 'recreational', and 'revenue'. However, there are several instances of awkward word choice and minor errors, such as 'individual can get recreational' (should be 'recreation') and 'since the advancement in the technology became advance' (redundant and grammatically incorrect). The vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning, but it lacks the precision and flexibility required for higher bands. To improve, focus on using collocations more accurately and avoiding repetitive phrasing like 'watching videos' or 'provide entertainment'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are frequent grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('theatres and cinemas are', 'Group of people believe', 'it provide wide range'), and article usage errors ('the economy', 'the theatre'). While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding your message, they are frequent enough to impact the overall fluency of the text. You should focus on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and ensuring that plural/singular nouns are used correctly. Increasing the variety of complex structures while maintaining accuracy will help improve your score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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