Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-05

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)

It is argued that in the modern era, theatres and cinemas are less important as many individuals could watch almost all the entertainment over the internet. Some people think that these are still holds an importance in both commercially and traditionally. Although, both views have some validity, i believe that nowadays, more people prefer to watch almost every entertainment online because there are multiple choices according to their interest.

To commence with, more people prefer to watch pleasurable content over the internet because they can easily find things to watch based on their interest. To elaborate it, Many individual have different choices such as, movies, series, dramas and cartoons. People access these types of content immediately based on their mood. For instance, recent survey in Nepal shows, interests of people to watch movies in theatres and cinemas had decreased rapidly in recent years. Thus, more people prefer online content over cinemas or theatres these days.

On the other hand, some people still prefer theatres and cinemas for entertainment purposes due to the fact that they want to spend valuable time with their friends and family. To explicate it, some individuals want to share good moments with their closed one by watching movies in cinemas so they can make memories together. For example, in my country many university students go to the cinema along with theiir friends in their free time for enjoyment. Hence this also contributes in country economy and have cultural values.

In conclusion, Although theatres and cinemas still have economical and cultural value, i believe that more people prefer to watch enjoyable content over the internet.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion5.5
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.5
Overall5.5

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. While you mention that online content offers 'multiple choices,' the discussion on the economic and cultural importance of cinemas is quite brief and lacks depth. To reach a higher band, you should expand on how cinemas contribute to the economy (e.g., job creation, tourism) or cultural identity (e.g., shared social experiences, preservation of art). The position is consistent throughout, but the supporting arguments could be more thoroughly explored to fully satisfy the requirements of the prompt.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear progression of ideas. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'To commence with,' 'On the other hand,' and 'In conclusion' to signal the structure. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical or repetitive. Additionally, the referencing is sometimes unclear; for example, 'these are still holds an importance' contains a grammatical error that disrupts the flow. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that pronouns clearly refer back to their antecedents would enhance the overall coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'pleasurable content,' 'economical,' and 'cultural values.' However, there are instances of awkward word choice and collocation errors, such as 'these are still holds an importance' and 'contributes in country economy.' Some vocabulary is also repetitive, particularly the use of 'watch' and 'people.' To improve, try to incorporate more precise synonyms and collocations, and pay closer attention to word forms to ensure they fit naturally within the sentence structure.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Examples include 'Many individual have' (subject-verb agreement), 'theiir' (spelling), and 'contributes in country economy' (preposition/article usage). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are persistent throughout the text. To achieve a higher score, focus on mastering subject-verb agreement, correct article usage, and proofreading for minor spelling slips. Increasing the variety of complex sentence structures while maintaining accuracy will also be beneficial.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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