Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-07
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 say that in the digital age, theatres and cinemas are no longer important as people can watch all entertainment they want online. Others argue that theatres and cinemas are still important both economically and culturally. We can say that there are advantages and disadvantages of watching cinemas in the theatres and online. While making an outdoor plan with our friends so, it's a nice idea to watch a movie together so we will laugh, eat and enjoy together. Moreover, watching a movie online we will be at our comfort zone where we can be loud and if missed a scene so we can repeat and enjoy every minute of it.
I think that watching a movie online at home will be more beneficial compared to theatres. As because there will be no cost of transport and waiting in the long queue for tickets after that for hours to the theatre room. For instance, if a person is having a tough corporate life where he can hardly make time for himself and also can not afford to watch movie in cinema, it will be favourable for him to watch movie online at home with friends where he can be at his safe place with his friends. He can also pause the movie to receive the order of food and then resume it. So, online platform will be useful for him to use.
To conclude this, using online services at home for films will be more advantageous as it covers your time and useless expenses that you will be spending if you do to the cinema for passes, travel.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response addresses the prompt but fails to discuss the importance of theatres and cinemas from an economic and cultural perspective, which was explicitly required. Instead, the essay focuses almost exclusively on the personal convenience of watching movies at home. By ignoring the cultural and economic arguments, the response is unbalanced and fails to fully develop the task. The position is clear, but the supporting ideas are limited to personal preference rather than a broader analysis of the topic. To improve, ensure all parts of the prompt are addressed with equal weight.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into three paragraphs, but the logical progression is weak. While there is an attempt to use cohesive devices like 'Moreover' and 'To conclude', the transitions between ideas are often mechanical or abrupt. The referencing is sometimes unclear, such as the phrase 'after that for hours to the theatre room', which lacks grammatical cohesion with the preceding clause. Paragraphing is present, but the development of ideas within the paragraphs is disjointed, making the overall flow feel somewhat repetitive and lacking in sophisticated linking.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for basic communication but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. There is a reliance on simple, repetitive phrasing such as 'watch a movie' and 'enjoy together'. Some word choices are unnatural or imprecise, such as 'theatre room' instead of 'cinema auditorium' or 'useless expenses' instead of 'unnecessary costs'. There is little evidence of less common lexical items or idiomatic expressions. To improve, focus on learning topic-specific vocabulary related to the entertainment industry and formal academic collocations.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'As because there will be no cost', which is redundant, and 'if missed a scene so we can repeat', which lacks a clear subject. There are also issues with preposition usage and article omission. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of errors in basic sentence construction prevents the response from reaching a higher band. Focus on subject-verb agreement and avoiding redundant conjunctions.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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