Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-21

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)

There is an ongoing debate of whether technology consistently improved. Owning to this, certain individuals argue that in this modern era, people preferred to watching content online instead of approaching theatres and cinemas.whereas, other opine that theatres and cinemas are still crucial for both economically and culturally. In my opinion, the former notion is more convincing and I will discuss both aspects in the upcoming paragraphs.

On the one hand, there are a plethora of rationales to accord with the former statement. The first the foremost reason is watching any type of content on mobile phones at home is comfortable because smartphones provide a mass of entertainment content with high quality by purchasing subscription of paid ott platforms such as netflix, primevideos and so on. Furthermore, numerous individuals are not wanted to staying in the long line for buying ticket at theaters as well as cinemas because it is very time consuming thing. For instance, a survey carried out by university of Cambridge in United Kingdom they observed that most of people have a hectic schedule regarding their job. So, they prioritise to spend their leisure time with their family while watching movies.

On the other hand, there are several factors to agree with the 8latter statement. Primarily, theatres and cinemas plays a pivotal role among individuals because they provide a substantial screen to enjoy their favourite movies or series. Not only watching content for better experience but also strong their bond with their family members as well as close friends, while watching together at theatres and cinemas. For example, a study conducted by the authorities of India whose couple spent their weekend together and watching their favourite planned movie in cinema make their relation strong. Consequently, it is also beneficial for economy of the nation , whilst buying ticket and government apply some tax on that.

To conclude, i restate my opinion that watching movies online is easier and time saving rather thant going in theatre and cinemas.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The essay addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both views and providing a clear personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat uneven. While the arguments for online streaming are clear, the discussion regarding the economic and cultural importance of cinemas is less developed and relies on somewhat vague examples, such as the study about couples in India. The position is consistent throughout, but the depth of analysis could be improved by providing more specific, logical connections between the cultural experience of cinema and its economic impact. The response meets the requirements of the task but remains at a general level of discussion.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the argument. There is a logical progression from the introduction to the body paragraphs and the conclusion. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly awkward, such as the transition 'whereas, other opine' or 'the first the foremost reason'. Additionally, some referencing is unclear, and the flow between sentences could be smoother. While the paragraphing is appropriate, the internal cohesion within paragraphs occasionally feels repetitive or forced, which prevents the essay from reaching a higher band score.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express their ideas clearly. There is an attempt to use less common vocabulary, such as 'plethora', 'rationales', and 'pivotal', but these are sometimes used with slight inaccuracies in collocation or register. For example, 'approaching theatres' is not a natural collocation in this context. There are also minor errors in word choice, such as 'strong their bond' instead of 'strengthen their bond'. While the range is sufficient to communicate the main points, the lack of precision and occasional awkward phrasing limit the score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including issues with subject-verb agreement ('theatres and cinemas plays'), article usage, and verb forms ('people preferred to watching', 'are not wanted to staying'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are persistent and occur in both simple and complex structures. To improve, the writer should focus on basic sentence construction and ensure that verb tenses and forms are used consistently. The punctuation is generally functional, but the overall control of grammar is inconsistent.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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