Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-10

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)

A relatively new trend has emerged where individuals are choosing to watch all the entertainment and shows online than to go to the cinemas or theatres in the digital age.

As a result, critics argument has also been developed regarding the importance of theatres and cinemas both economically and culturally.

As digitalization took place in the society, the shortcuts of doing something has been adopted more rapidly. Various online platforms has been developed for entertainment purposes. Individuals feel more comfortable watching shows, series or movies on that online platforms sitting on a couch. Individuals do not require to go to the theatres and they do not have to even plan for it, as they can instantly tap on their phones or televisions whenever they think of watching one movie or show. Therefore, it is that easy. And we can buy monthly or yearly subscription to watch our favorite entertainment shows, we do not require to buy tickets for each movie in theatres or cinemas. We can watch as many film or shows as much we want within just one subscription payment.

The benefits of watching entertainment shows on digital media is clear, nevertheless, the importance of going to theatres and cinemas cannot be ignored. It is quite a traditional process of visiting to cinemas physically to watch something which has been undoubtedly partially or fully surpassed by the online apps or different platforms.

Visiting to cinemas can make an individual grow culturally, there is a different kind of joy and happiness watching it with all the other people in a full theatre. We can accompany with our beloved ones, family or friends to watch entertainments together. Additionally, the ticket prices for each movie is quite cheaper than the monthly or yearly subscription of some online apps making it affordable for all economical groups of people.

In conclusion, as the digitalization progresses, we cannot definitely ignore the benefits of the online apps and entertainment platforms. Those platforms are even evolving day by day, by introducing different segments like feedback loops from individuals to enhance personalized user experiences and developing recommendation algorithm to recommend more highly rated or similar tastes of movies to the user. Therefore, the impact and benefit of it can never be avoided. However, we can't fully erase the importance of going out to the theatres and movies concerning about all category of people. So, I feel they both should coexist equally for the beneficial of cultural and economical backgrounds.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have addressed all parts of the prompt by discussing both perspectives and providing your own opinion. The ideas are relevant, such as the convenience of online streaming versus the social and cultural value of cinemas. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, your argument regarding the economic aspect is slightly contradictory, as you claim cinemas are cheaper than subscriptions, which may not be universally true. To reach a higher band, ensure your supporting points are more logically sound and fully explored. Your position is clear throughout the essay, which is a positive aspect of your response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear progression of ideas from the introduction to the conclusion. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'nevertheless,' 'additionally,' and 'in conclusion,' to link your thoughts. However, some transitions feel a bit mechanical or repetitive. The referencing is generally clear, but there are instances where the flow between sentences could be smoother. For example, the transition between the benefits of digital media and the importance of physical cinemas could be more sophisticated to improve the overall coherence of the argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You have an adequate range of vocabulary to convey your meaning, including terms like 'digitalization,' 'personalized user experiences,' and 'recommendation algorithm.' However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'critics argument has also been developed' (should be 'arguments have been developed') and 'beneficial of cultural and economical backgrounds' (should be 'benefit to cultural and economic backgrounds'). While these errors do not impede communication, they prevent the essay from reaching a higher band. Expanding your range to include more precise academic collocations would be beneficial.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you attempt complex sentences, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement ('Various online platforms has been developed') and preposition usage ('visiting to cinemas'). Additionally, there are issues with article usage and pluralization ('as many film or shows'). While these errors are noticeable, they rarely impede the reader's understanding of your main points. To improve, focus on proofreading for basic grammatical consistency and refining your use of complex structures to ensure they are error-free.

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