Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-08

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)

The isspeople saying that in digital age, theatres & cinemas are no longer important as people can watch all the enterainment they want online. While, others argue that theatres and cinemas are still important both economically and cultuarally has generated considerable debate in recent years. Some people argue that theatres & cinemas are no longer important as everything can be watched online, hwereas others still believe that theatres & cinemas are still important both economically & culturally. Both perspective have some merits & demerits, but I personally believe theatres & cinemas are still important economilcally and culturally beacuse it generates employment & preserves the the talents of people.

On one hand, supporters of digital era argue that everything is available online from theatres and cinema. The main reason for this belief is that there are numerous streaming platform which charges its viewers some amount for subscription and these streaming platforms also generates money through advertisements. When people are travelling or in some other parts of the country they can easily view the threatrics or cinemas through these streaming platform, it can result in positive way. For example, people from different part of world can get know of different culture of others ,through the streaming platforms.Therefore, it is understandable why some people consider this approach effective.

On the ther hand people who argue that cinemeas & theatres are still important both economically and culturally & also on my personal opinion on why it is important for both cinemeas & theatres are still important economically and culturally because they genereate employment perserve the talent of people, & I find this arguement more convincing. One important reasion is that empolyment both theatres & cinemas both generate front & backend employments, which can lead to growth in both economically & culturally. Furthermore, preservation of culture through the cinemas & theatrics peolpe can be able to pass it down to next genration & grow their culture, also spread the teachings of their culture. For instance, cinema from southern part of India showed the culture & heritage of the specific region, which was later conveyed to everyone through theatres and cinema. In my view , this approach is preferable beacause offers more sustainable & balanced response to theatres & cinemas are still important both economically & culturall.

In conclusion, supporters of digital era streaming are correct for saying cinmeas & theatres are no longer important as they watch it online, while advoates of people who argue thatv theatres & cinemas are still important both economically and cultrally emphasise they are correct. Nevertheless, I believe that theatrs & cinemas are still important both economically and culturally beacse they generate employment and helps to preserve the culture in the long term.

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

You have addressed all parts of the prompt, including both views and your own opinion. Your position is clear throughout the essay. However, the development of ideas is somewhat repetitive. For instance, you mention 'employment' and 'preserving culture' as the primary reasons for the importance of cinemas in both the body paragraph and the conclusion, without significantly expanding on these points. To reach a higher band, ensure that each paragraph introduces distinct, well-supported arguments rather than restating the same points using similar phrasing. The introduction is also slightly cluttered with repetitive phrasing from 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 some cohesive devices such as 'On one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion' to guide the reader. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or repetitive. Additionally, there are instances where referencing is unclear, such as in the second paragraph where the transition between streaming platforms and cultural exchange feels abrupt. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring smoother transitions between sentences would enhance the flow of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band. You rely heavily on repeating the same phrases from the prompt, such as 'economically and culturally' and 'theatres and cinemas', which limits your lexical range. There are also several spelling errors (e.g., 'enterainment', 'hwereas', 'economilcally', 'beacuse', 'genereate', 'peolpe') and minor collocation issues. To improve, focus on using synonyms and more sophisticated vocabulary related to the topic of media and economics.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text. Issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'streaming platform which charges'), missing articles, and awkward sentence construction (e.g., 'The isspeople saying that...'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the use of ampersands (&) instead of the word 'and', which is inappropriate for formal academic writing. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to affect the overall clarity and professionalism of your response.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.