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 believe that watching movies in theatres and cinemas a 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 points of view.
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 a monthly online subscription is way convenient for them rather than going outside.
On the other hand, people in favor of cinema and theatres know the actual value of these places. Buying costly tickets is not a problem for them because watching a 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 cameras. 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 and watching movie memorable for them.
In my opinion, watching movies online or in a cinema depends upon a person's own circumstances. Some people love to watch alone but some do not. 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 an essential part of their life.
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 all parts of the prompt, discussing both views and providing an opinion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. For instance, the argument regarding the economic and cultural importance of cinemas is limited to IMAX screens and the social experience, lacking depth or specific examples of economic impact. The opinion provided is neutral and lacks a strong, clear stance, which is a requirement for a higher band. To improve, you should expand on your points with more detailed explanations or concrete examples, and ensure your own position is clearly articulated and maintained throughout the essay.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
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, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical or repetitive. The transition between sentences could be smoother to improve the flow of the argument. Additionally, the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the phrase 'Same is in the case of', which is grammatically awkward and disrupts the cohesion of the paragraph.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the range and precision required for a higher band. You rely on common, simple phrases like 'way better', 'main thing', and 'way convenient'. There are also some instances of imprecise word choice, such as 'obsessed with it' to describe people who prefer online streaming. To reach a higher band, you should aim to incorporate more sophisticated vocabulary and collocations related to the topic of media and entertainment, while avoiding informal, conversational language.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as 'everything is going to get digitalized', 'Same is in the case of', and 'both point of views'. There are also issues with article usage and subject-verb agreement. While these errors do not impede communication, they are persistent throughout the text. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction and proofreading for common errors in articles and pluralization.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.