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 the 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 films in the theatres and online. While making an outdoor plan with our friends, 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 where we can be loud and if we miss 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. 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 go to the cinema for passes, travel.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both sides of the argument, but the development is somewhat limited. While you mention the cultural and economic importance of theatres, the discussion remains superficial and focuses heavily on personal convenience rather than broader societal or economic impacts. The prompt asks to discuss both views, but your analysis of the 'theatre' side is brief and lacks depth. To improve, ensure you provide more substantial arguments regarding the cultural significance of cinemas (e.g., community experience, film preservation) and the economic impact (e.g., job creation, local business revenue). Your position is clear, but the supporting ideas need more academic weight to reach a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, but the flow between ideas is sometimes mechanical. You use basic cohesive devices like 'Moreover' and 'For instance,' but the transition between the two views is abrupt. The paragraphing is logical, but the internal structure of the paragraphs could be improved by using more varied linking words to connect your arguments. Referencing is generally clear, though some sentences feel disjointed. To improve, focus on using a wider range of cohesive devices to create a smoother progression of ideas, ensuring that each sentence logically follows the previous one.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision and range required for higher bands. You rely on common phrases like 'nice idea,' 'tough corporate life,' and 'safe place.' While these communicate your meaning, they are not particularly sophisticated. There are also some minor collocation issues, such as 'covers your time' (which should be 'saves your time') and 'theatre room' (which is not standard usage). To improve, try to incorporate more topic-specific vocabulary related to the film industry, economics, and social habits, and focus on using more precise collocations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally affect the flow. For example, 'if we miss a scene so we can repeat' is grammatically incorrect, and 'waiting in the long queue for tickets after that for hours to the theatre room' is a run-on sentence with awkward phrasing. There are also issues with article usage and prepositional phrases. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding your main points, they indicate a need for more careful proofreading and a better grasp of complex sentence construction.

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