Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-09
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)
There is ongoing debate that the theatres and the cinemas are not important enough as people prefer to watch these entertainments through online mode in the digital era; while, others argue that the theatres and cinemas still posses various economic and cultural benefits. I firmly convinced that the interest of people have shifted to online mode of entertainments in this digital age ; meanwhile, the beneficial aspects of live theatres and cinemas cannot be ignored.
The interest of people have been shifted to digital entertainment due to availability of all sorts of online entertainment. People nowadays use TV, mobile phones, tablets and computers for entertainment purposes including watching movies, comedy and drama programs. The young generation play online games on PC or mobile phones. Majority of population prefer to enjoy entertainment at homes for security, fuel and time saving reasons and this can only be possible through online mode. For example, in my building, all people living in apartments watch movies in their TV lounge with their beloved ones.
On the contrary, some people believe that the theatres and cinemas posses various beneficial aspects including physical presence and availability. People gatherings at cinema are considered as a cultural heritage. The ticket, taxes, purchasing of snack items and fuel expense while travelling to theatres are the positive economical aspects of cinemas. These cultural and economic aspects becomes the representation of our society. For an instance, the Islamabad club cinema became very popular after the tax revenues released by FBR reached above 30 million. The Arts Council theatre hall in Rawalpindi is always crowded and people wait in long lines to get tickets which is a representation of our culture.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both views and providing a clear personal opinion in the introduction. The ideas are relevant, such as the convenience of home entertainment versus the cultural and economic value of physical venues. However, the development is somewhat uneven. While the economic argument regarding taxes and ticket sales is interesting, it is not fully linked to the 'importance' of theatres in a broader cultural sense. The conclusion is missing, which is a significant omission for a balanced discussion. To reach a higher band, ensure each body paragraph has a clear topic sentence and a concluding thought that ties back to the prompt.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with a clear progression from the introduction to the two opposing viewpoints. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'On the contrary' and 'For example', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions are mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally repetitive (e.g., 'the theatres and cinemas' is repeated frequently). The lack of a concluding paragraph negatively impacts the overall coherence, as the essay ends abruptly after the second body paragraph. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring a summary paragraph is included would significantly enhance the flow.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the student to express ideas clearly. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'cultural heritage' and 'economic aspects'. However, there are several word-choice errors and spelling mistakes, such as 'posses' instead of 'possess' and 'entertainments' used as a countable noun in contexts where it should be uncountable. The range is sufficient to communicate the message, but the lack of precision and occasional errors in collocation prevent it from reaching a higher band. Focusing on word forms and collocations will help improve this score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('The interest of people have been shifted', 'aspects becomes') and article usage errors ('in my building, all people... watch movies in their TV lounge'). While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to be noticeable. To improve, the student should focus on subject-verb agreement and proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy. Increasing the variety of complex structures while maintaining control would also be beneficial.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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