Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-30

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)

In this modern era, the online streaming platforms have become an major aspect of accessing the entertainment content. It is often argued that in the digital age cinemas and theatres are no longer important, due to availability of content online in ott and streaming sites, while other believes it holds cultural vales, and economically important.

To commence with, loss in the importance of cinemas and theatres among some people are due to a plethora of reasons. The primary reason is that the advancement in technology allows individuals to enjoy content online from the comfort of their home or any dynamic location. For instance, the availability of entertainment content on streaming platforms such as Netflix and Hotstar with dynamic availability in terms of time and location, leads to decrease in the values of theatres. Moreover, the attractive pricing and annual plans are more cheaper compared to tickets of cinemas and theatre plays.

On the other hand, there are numerous factors the hold accountability to their importance. First and foremost, it drives economic growth and creates employments, whereas it also provides a whole experience in terms of sound and picture quality, crowd and real world experience. To cite an example, theatres and cinemas provide employment to local citizens and help in personal and economic growth, and alleviates the environment of the society. Lastly, the cultural and traditional plays in theatres and local films increases the cultural values among citizens, and introduces new opportunities.

I hold the view that, although the availability of streaming websites may have affected the significance of traditional cinemas and theatres, the cultural and traditional values alongside economical benefits, and the experience it provides can never be surpassed.

To recapitulate, to maintain the prominence of cinemas and theatres, which facilitates them economically as well as culturally certain measure must be adopted by government to strike a balance between them and online watchig.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both views and providing a clear personal opinion. The ideas are relevant, such as the convenience of streaming versus the economic and cultural value of physical venues. However, the development of these points is somewhat superficial. For instance, the argument regarding 'economic growth' and 'employment' is mentioned but not sufficiently explained or supported with specific, concrete examples. The conclusion is a bit vague regarding the 'certain measures' the government should adopt. To reach a higher band, the essay would benefit from more detailed elaboration on how exactly these venues contribute to the economy or how cultural value is specifically fostered.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two viewpoints. Cohesive devices such as 'To commence with', 'On the other hand', and 'First and foremost' are used to guide the reader. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and there are minor issues with referencing and flow. For example, the phrase 'alleviates the environment of the society' is unclear in its meaning and disrupts the logical progression of the argument. Overall, the progression of ideas is coherent, but the use of cohesive devices could be more natural and varied.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express ideas clearly. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'plethora' and 'significance'. However, there are several instances of awkward word choice and collocation errors, such as 'an major aspect', 'dynamic availability', and 'more cheaper' (a double comparative error). The phrase 'alleviates the environment' is also a misuse of vocabulary. While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate a need for more precision and a better grasp of collocations to achieve a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the writer attempts complex sentences, there are frequent grammatical errors. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('other believes', 'films increases'), article misuse ('an major'), and comparative errors ('more cheaper'). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are some awkward phrasings that affect the overall fluency. The majority of sentences are understandable, but the frequency of errors prevents the writing from being considered highly accurate. To improve, the student should focus on basic grammatical rules like subject-verb agreement and the correct formation of comparatives.

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