Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-22
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)
Nowadays whenever we flick through social media, we often find upcoming new movies. Some people believed that watching movies in theatres and cinemas is just waste of money as we can watch it online on Netflix or youtube. But some argue that theatres and cinemas are still paramount both financially and culturally. This essay will discuss both point of views.
As it's a modern digital era, everything is going to get digitalized. Same is in the case of watching movies. People hold the view that watching movies online is way better as it saves both money and time. Moreover, a lot of members in the society cannot afford the expensive tickets of the cinema and theatres due to rise in their prices. So buying monthly online subscription is way favorable for them rather than going outside.
On the other hand, people in favor of cinema and theatres knows the actual value of these places. Buying costly tickets is not a problem for them because watching movie on a big cinema screen is like the main thing for them. Also some movies can be watched only in cinema like movies filmed on IMAX camera. In order to watch the actual film captured by the producer, people have to go to cinema to watch it on IMAX screen. Secondly, people gather in a theatre hall, enjoy film together make watching movie memorable for them.
In my opinion, watching movies online or in a cinema depends upon person own's circumstances. Some people love to watch alone but some doesn't. So both point of views are equally justified.
Taking everything into account, watching movies online is better for some members as they are obsessed with it. But some love to watch movies in cinema and theatres as they consider it essential part of their life.
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 all parts of the prompt, discussing both views and providing an opinion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While you mention economic and cultural aspects, the points remain relatively superficial. For instance, the argument about IMAX cameras is a good specific example, but the discussion on the economic impact is underdeveloped. Your opinion is stated, but it lacks a strong, cohesive argument to support why you believe both views are justified. To reach a higher band, ensure that each body paragraph provides deeper analysis and more robust supporting evidence rather than just stating the points.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear progression of ideas. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'Moreover', 'On the other hand', and 'Taking everything into account'. However, some transitions feel a bit mechanical, and the flow between sentences could be smoother. For example, the transition between the second and third paragraphs is abrupt. Additionally, the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the phrase 'Same is in the case of watching movies', which is grammatically awkward and disrupts the flow. Improving the variety and naturalness of your linking words would enhance the overall coherence.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to convey your meaning clearly. You use some relevant topic-specific terms like 'digitalized', 'subscription', and 'IMAX camera'. However, there are instances of imprecise word choice and minor collocation errors, such as 'flick through social media' (usually 'scroll through') and 'way favorable' (should be 'much more favorable'). The range of vocabulary is sufficient but lacks the sophistication and precision required for higher bands. To improve, focus on using more academic collocations and avoiding repetitive phrasing like 'watching movies' throughout the text.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Examples include 'Some people believed' (should be 'believe'), 'Some movies can be watched only in cinema' (missing article 'a'), and 'some doesn't' (subject-verb agreement error). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with missing commas in complex sentences. While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles to improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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