Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-29
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)
Many individuals believe that in modern era, cinemas and theatres have become less essential as anyone can see all the entertainment through many applications online. Whereas some debates that the cinemas and theatres plays a vital role financially and have cultural values. In the following paragraphs I will be discussing both point of views.
On the one hand, youngsters prefer to make their own private cinemas at their home and enjoy there with their friends and family as they prefer not to go somewhere and wait there to watch anything. For instance, if there is a new release of a movie then children prefer to watch it online while sitting at their comfortable place. Moreover, they do not have to get ready for the film or they can avoid social interactions.
On the other hand, elders think that they can have a family time while watching a show at a theatre which will be a good source to relax your self and have an enjoyable evening. Furthermore, they believe that they have a good chance to socialize with others and improve their networking such as when you go to a cinema you meet various types of people which helps you to get knowledge of different cultures.
At the end of the day, I strongly believe that watching a show online is better than viewing a movie at a theatre and the reason for that is in todays' world you have many online platforms through which you can interact with novel people and make new pals and get to know their cultural values. Additionally, there are many applications that can help you to watch films online at no cost. Hence watching movie online is preferable than going to cinemas.
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 both views and provides a clear personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. The arguments regarding the convenience of online viewing and the social benefits of cinemas are presented but lack depth or specific, illustrative examples. The essay relies on generalisations rather than exploring the economic or cultural significance mentioned in the prompt. While the position is clear, the supporting points could be more thoroughly extended to meet the requirements for a higher band. The conclusion reiterates the opinion but does not fully synthesise the arguments presented in the body paragraphs.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'Furthermore' are used to guide the reader. However, some transitions feel mechanical, and the flow between sentences is occasionally disjointed. For example, the transition from discussing 'elders' to 'networking' is slightly abrupt. Paragraphing is used appropriately, but the internal cohesion within paragraphs could be improved to create a more natural progression of ideas.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks sophistication. There are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'make their own private cinemas' and 'get knowledge of different cultures'. The student relies on basic vocabulary like 'good', 'nice', and 'many'. While the meaning is clear throughout, the lack of more precise or academic vocabulary prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. To improve, the student should focus on using more varied and topic-specific terminology related to media, culture, and economics.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'in modern era' (missing article), 'some debates' (should be 'some debate'), 'theatres plays' (subject-verb agreement), and 'todays' world' (missing apostrophe). While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to affect the overall impression of control. The student demonstrates an attempt at complex sentences, but the accuracy is inconsistent. More attention to articles, subject-verb agreement, and punctuation is needed to improve the grammatical accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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