Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-06

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)

Some people argue that in this technology era, people can watch all the entertainment online that’s why theatres and cinemas are not important anymore, while others believe that these play a significant role till now both economically and traditionally. In this essay, i will discuss both views how online websites save money and watch anything whatever they want, and how it is important to go theatres on occasions with family and earn money from tickets. In my opinion, there are many online websites to watch any type of shows without investing money to go outside for movie.

On the one hand, nowadays many people prefer to watch at home because as this is digital era so people can search anything online of their own choice. They may find many programmes on different websites, such as, Netflix, and Amazon Prime. They have to pay small amount of subscription only , and they can watch it for whole month. Furthermore, a large number of people may comfortable at home, they may set their laptop and grab chips. Not only subscription based websites available, but also there are free websites, such as Netmirror and Cinego. These digitally free websites may be helpful for them to enjoy their own favorite series without spending money. Therefore, these online sites may become sufficient for people to watch movies or series at their own pace.

On the other hand, these theatres and cinemas are also essential because mostly people prefer to go there occasionally. They may need environment and big screen to enjoy that vibe. For example, a whole family may purchase their tickets to watch movie on specific event like Eid. They may get time to spend with each other and enjoy some time outside. Furthermore, it’s also important for people, who may generate income from these movies. It may be beneficial for them, when a lot of people come to cinemas and purchase the snacks like popcorns. As a result, these are important for people who run their cinemas and for cultural events.

In conclusion, although watching movies from these theatres may give enjoyment to people and source of income, in my opinion, many people prefer to watch it digitally using different websites and find it comfortable.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both sides of the argument and provides a personal opinion, meeting the basic requirements of the task. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. For instance, the economic argument regarding cinemas is mentioned but not fully explored with specific detail. The conclusion is slightly contradictory; while the prompt asks for your opinion, you state that you prefer digital platforms, but the essay structure could be more balanced in its final synthesis. To reach a higher band, ensure that your arguments are supported by more robust reasoning rather than simple descriptions of watching movies at home.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, and there is a logical progression of ideas. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'Furthermore' to link your points. However, some transitions feel a bit mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally repetitive. The flow between sentences could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence that directly relates to the prompt. Overall, the structure is coherent and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'subscription', 'economically', and 'digitally'. However, there are some instances of imprecise word choice and awkward phrasing, such as 'technology era' instead of 'digital age' and 'generate income from these movies' which is slightly vague. You rely on fairly common vocabulary and could improve your score by incorporating more sophisticated collocations and topic-specific terminology related to the entertainment industry. Spelling is generally accurate, but the range of vocabulary remains somewhat limited.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with article usage (e.g., 'go theatres', 'watch movie'), subject-verb agreement, and prepositions. Some sentences are slightly clunky, such as 'mostly people prefer to go there'. While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction and proofreading for small errors like missing articles or incorrect verb forms.

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

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