Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-23
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)
Entertainment plays a key role in everyone's life. Some people think that theatres and cinemas are not as significant because people can access all the entertainment online in this modern era, while others believe that they are still crucial by both culturally and economically. This essay will discuss both views before presenting my opinion.
On the one hand, most people prefer to watch films or other entertainment online because they offer greater convenience to users. People can access any kind of entertainment through their comfort places. In addition, people can have greater flexibility to pause, skip and resume in online, whereas it cannot be possible in theatres. Moreover, users can access entertainment through different locations, while people can watch other languages films and documentaries as well. For example, a person can watch Japanese show in India through online and they can have the access to pause or skip some certain scenes, however it is not possible in theatres. Hence, a greater number of people choose to access entertainment online rather than theatres
On the other hand, theatres play a vital role in the terms of culture and economy. By watching cinemas in theatres provides profits to the producers and distributors, while it also encourages the director to take other films like these. On these circumstances, theatres generally provided economic support to the film makers. Another important factor is that theatres represent our culture, as theatres makes people together in a place to watch entertainment and also it symbolizes our identity. So based on these factors theaters are still important to represent our culture and provide economic support.
In conclusion, although theatres offer economic support to film makers and represents our culture, accessing entertainment online provides greater convenience to the users and they can watch entertainment in different languages from different locations.
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 position in the conclusion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat repetitive. For instance, the argument regarding 'convenience' is mentioned multiple times in the first body paragraph without adding new depth. Furthermore, the conclusion fails to explicitly state your own opinion as requested by the prompt; it merely summarizes the points made. To reach a higher band, ensure that your personal stance is clearly articulated and consistently supported throughout the essay, rather than just listing the views of others.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, and there is a logical progression of ideas. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'In addition', and 'In conclusion' to guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical or awkward, such as 'On these circumstances' and 'as theatres makes people together'. The referencing is generally clear, but the flow between sentences could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words to connect ideas more fluidly, rather than relying on simple additive connectors.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to convey your meaning clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'producers', 'distributors', and 'documentaries'. However, there are instances of imprecise word choice and collocation errors, such as 'through their comfort places' (should be 'from the comfort of their homes') and 'take other films' (should be 'produce' or 'make'). The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited, and you tend to repeat the word 'entertainment' frequently. Expanding your range of synonyms would enhance the sophistication of your writing.
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 several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text. Examples include 'watching cinemas in theatres provides' (subject-verb agreement error), 'it cannot be possible' (unnatural phrasing), and 'theatres makes people together' (subject-verb agreement). Additionally, there are minor punctuation and prepositional errors. While these errors do not significantly impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and more natural sentence construction will improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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