Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-02

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)

In the modern digital age, some people believe that traditional theatres and cinemas are no longer needed because entertainment is easily accessible online. However, others argue that these places remain important for cultural and economic reasons. In my opinion, while online streaming is very convenient, physical venues still play a vital role in modern society.

On the one hand, digital platforms offer clear benefits in terms of convenience and cost. Unlike traditional cinemas that require people to buy expensive tickets, travel long distances, and follow fixed showtimes, streaming services allow users to watch movies anywhere and anytime. For example, popular platforms like Netflix provide access to thousands of shows and movies for a small monthly fee. As a result, many people prefer the comfort and financial savings of watching content at home rather than going to a physical venue.

On the other hand, traditional venues are still important economically and culturally. From an economic perspective, cinemas and theatres create many jobs for local workers and bring extra business to nearby shops, restaurants, and public transportation. Culturally, watching a movie or live play on a large screen with a live audience creates a shared emotional experience that cannot be matched at home. Seeing a performance in person brings local communities together in a way that watching content on a phone or laptop simply cannot.

In conclusion, although online streaming provides great convenience and lower costs, physical venues offer unique economic benefits and valuable social experiences. Therefore, cinemas and theatres will continue to be essential parts of our communities for a long time.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt effectively. You have clearly discussed both perspectives—the convenience of digital streaming and the economic/cultural importance of physical venues—and provided a clear personal opinion in the introduction and conclusion. The ideas are well-developed, particularly the distinction between the 'shared emotional experience' of a live audience versus the solitary nature of home viewing. To reach a higher band, you could further extend the economic argument by providing a more specific example, such as the impact of a local cinema on the surrounding hospitality sector, to add depth to your analysis.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a central topic sentence, and the transition between the two viewpoints is smooth, using appropriate cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand' and 'On the other hand'. The conclusion effectively synthesizes the main points. The flow is natural, and paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct arguments. The use of referencing is clear, and the overall structure supports the reader's understanding without any mechanical or repetitive patterns.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary that is appropriate for an academic essay. Phrases like 'easily accessible', 'shared emotional experience', and 'physical venues' are used accurately. While the vocabulary is sufficient and precise, it is generally standard. To achieve a higher band, you could incorporate more sophisticated, less common lexical items or idiomatic collocations related to the topic, such as 'ubiquity of digital media' or 'cultural cornerstone'. The spelling is accurate throughout, and word choice is consistently appropriate for the context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The essay displays a good variety of complex structures, such as the use of concessive clauses ('While online streaming is very convenient...') and conditional-like structures ('...rather than going to a physical venue'). The majority of your sentences are error-free, and your control over punctuation and syntax is strong. The grammar is consistently accurate, which aids readability. To push into the higher bands, ensure you continue to vary your sentence length and structure even further, perhaps by incorporating more advanced passive constructions or inversion to add stylistic flair.

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.