Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-04
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 4.5)
The maps illustrate the changes in a college café before it was redesigned and how it looks now.
Overall, it is clear that the cafe underwent major changes, with new areas for food parcel and coffee bar. In addition, two new areas were designed for BBQ and salad bar, while the most noticeable development was the addition of a new outdoor seating area for the people.
Previously, there was a serving area for all food and drinks inside the kitchen, which was replaced with only hot meals. Moreover, there were two separate staff dining rooms in the main hall which were converted into a food take away area and a coffee bar respectively.
On the left side of the indoor dining area, a new salad bar was constructed while on the extreme right side of the indoor hall, new additional recycling bins were placed. However, the toilets besides the trash bins area remained the same.
Lastly, the design of the cafe involved the construction of a barbecue area and outdoor seating area for students which was on the left side of the cafe building, accessible through the doors.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 2.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 4.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 2.0
The response is completely off-topic. The prompt asks for an essay discussing the importance of theatres and cinemas in the digital age, but you have written a report describing a map of a college café redesign. Because you have failed to address the task prompt entirely, this response cannot be assessed for task achievement regarding the essay question. Furthermore, the response is significantly under the 250-word minimum requirement, which further impacts the score. To improve, you must carefully read the prompt and ensure your writing directly answers the specific question asked.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
Despite being off-topic, the response demonstrates a basic level of organization. You have used an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. There is some attempt at logical sequencing, using transition words like 'Overall', 'In addition', 'Previously', and 'Lastly'. However, the paragraphing is somewhat mechanical, and the lack of relevance to the prompt makes the overall coherence ineffective. The referencing is generally clear, but the structure does not support the development of an argument because no argument was presented.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is adequate for describing a diagram, showing some range related to spatial description and changes, such as 'underwent major changes', 'converted', and 'accessible'. However, because the content is irrelevant to the task, the lexical range is limited to descriptive language rather than the argumentative or analytical language required for an essay on cultural and economic trends. There are no significant spelling errors, but the vocabulary is not suited to the task requirements.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The grammar is generally accurate, with a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. You have used passive voice correctly in phrases like 'was redesigned' and 'was constructed'. There are very few grammatical errors, and the sentences are easy to follow. However, the range of structures is somewhat limited. While the accuracy is relatively high, the lack of complex argumentative structures—which are necessary for an essay—prevents a higher score. Punctuation is generally handled well throughout the text.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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