Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-01

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 7.0)

There has been an ongoing debate over the relevance of traditional theatres and cinemas in the digital age. Some people believe that they are no longer important as means of entertainment are easily accessible online while others argue that movie houses play a crucial role both economically and culturally. I believe that theatres and cinemas are still relevant and much needed for their economic and cultural benefits.

The addition of different streaming services like Netflix and YouTube has made the movies much more accessible compared to older times. At the touch of a button, people can browse through thousands of different movies. These streaming services require much more cheaper costs when compared to the cost of movie tickets of theatres and cinemas. Consequently, many families now prefer staying at home for their weekend entertainment rather than incurring the high expenses of a night out at the cinema.

On the contrary, there's a large number of people who argue that traditional cinemas remain essential due to their significant contributions to both the economy and local culture. From an economic perspective, movie houses create a multitude of jobs for local communities—ranging from cinema staff to vendors in surrounding restaurants and shopping centers—while generating massive box-office revenue. Culturally, watching a film on a massive screen surrounded by a live audience offers a shared, immersive social experience that cannot be replicated alone at home.

In conclusion, while digital streaming platforms undeniably offer unmatched convenience and affordability, traditional theatres and cinemas continue to play an irreplaceable economic and cultural role in society. Therefore, I believe they will remain relevant for years to come.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt effectively. You clearly present both sides of the argument regarding the relevance of theatres and cinemas in the digital age. Your position is established in the introduction and maintained consistently throughout the essay. The ideas are well-developed, particularly the economic and cultural arguments in the third paragraph. To reach a higher band, you could further extend the discussion by providing a specific example of a cultural event or a particular economic impact, which would add more depth to your supporting points. Overall, the response is well-focused and directly answers the prompt.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the transition between the arguments for and against is smooth, using appropriate cohesive devices such as 'On the contrary' and 'In conclusion'. The paragraphing is logical and helps the reader follow your argument easily. The use of referencing is generally clear, though occasionally the flow could be improved by varying the sentence starters more. The structure is sound, and the logical flow is maintained from the introduction to the final conclusion.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to discuss the topic with precision. Phrases like 'ongoing debate', 'unmatched convenience', and 'irreplaceable economic and cultural role' are used effectively. There is an attempt to use less common vocabulary, which is generally successful. However, there is a minor collocation error in the second paragraph: 'require much more cheaper costs' should be 'involve significantly lower costs'. Improving the precision of these collocations would elevate the lexical score. Overall, the vocabulary is appropriate for the task and conveys your meaning clearly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The essay displays a good variety of complex structures, such as the use of subordinate clauses and participial phrases (e.g., 'ranging from cinema staff to vendors...'). The majority of your sentences are error-free, and your control over punctuation is generally strong. There are very few grammatical slips, though the phrase 'require much more cheaper costs' is grammatically awkward. Your ability to construct complex sentences is evident, and these structures are used with good accuracy. The writing is fluent and easy to read, with no errors that impede communication.

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