Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-11

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)

In recent years, there is a rapid growth in technology. Some people think that theatres and cinemas are not important because people can watch anything via Netflix and YouTube. While others think that it is important both economically and culturally. From my perspective, online entertainment outweighs the benefits of theatres and cinemas.

Firstly, there is the vast variety of online content that is available on YouTube and Netflix. People think that an online subscription is cheaper than cinema tickets. For instance, I visited a cinema with my cousins last week. I observed that it cost me the same as my monthly Netflix subscription. This shows that one time visit of cinema is equal to the monthly subscription of Netflix. That is why, people do not want to spend on theatres. Moreover, People are not restricted to watch the movie at home. They can entertain with multiple movies and dramas on the same night. While, bad weather conditions can also prevent people from going to visit theatres. During the COVID-19 pandemic, people did a lot of entertainment by watching content online. They were isolated at their homes and not able to visit cinemas. In result, they preferred to stay home and watch series on their phones via Netflix and YouTube.

On the other hand, people spent their quality time with their friends and family at cinema. For example, my cousins visited us last week. They want some source of entertainment and then we decided to go to theatre. So, we spent quality time with each other and captured a lot of memories. Furthermore, cinemas help to reduce anxiety and depression. For instance, housewives who rarely go out may reduce their depression and anxiety by visiting the cinema.

Overall, online entertainment is affordable and easy to watch while cinemas and theatres have their own importance economically and culturally. In my opinion, people are moving towards online entertainment rapidly because the access is more convenient than the theatre.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both views and providing a clear personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat uneven. The argument for online entertainment is supported by personal anecdotes, but the discussion on the cultural and economic importance of cinemas is less developed and relies on generalisations, such as the claim that cinemas reduce depression in housewives. To reach a higher band, you should provide more robust, objective arguments for the cultural and economic significance of theatres, rather than relying solely on personal experience or subjective claims. The position is clear, but the supporting evidence needs more depth and academic rigour.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organised into paragraphs, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Firstly', 'Moreover', 'On the other hand', and 'Furthermore', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions feel a bit mechanical or repetitive. For instance, the use of 'For instance' and 'For example' is frequent, and some sentences within paragraphs lack smooth flow, such as the transition between the COVID-19 pandemic example and the conclusion of that paragraph. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that ideas within paragraphs are more tightly connected would enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express ideas clearly. There is some attempt to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'subscription', 'content', and 'economically and culturally'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are instances of slightly unnatural phrasing, such as 'They can entertain with multiple movies' (should be 'They can be entertained') and 'In result' (should be 'As a result'). To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and a wider range of academic vocabulary to avoid repetitive phrasing and minor word-choice errors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Examples include 'there is a rapid growth' (should be 'there has been'), 'People are not restricted to watch' (should be 'restricted to watching'), and 'They want some source of entertainment and then we decided' (tense inconsistency). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are minor errors in sentence construction. To achieve a higher score, you need to demonstrate more consistent control over complex structures and reduce the frequency of basic grammatical slips.

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

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