Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-12

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)

Over the past years , theatres and cinemas have became the part of debate. It is believed by number of masses that theatres and cinemas are useless because of online entertainment . While some argue that they are important part of culture and economy. I shed some lights on both aspects for which vindications will be elaborated in the upcoming paragraphs.

To commence with, numerous reasons are associated with the former view . First and foremost is , nowadays , every individual has access of internet and they can watch any type of entertainment on on social media . Secondly, online entertainment is very cheap and sometime even free unlike theatres and cinemas that charge huge amount of money. Moreover, online entertainment can be watched anywhere and anytime. Therefore some people believe that theatres and cinemas are no longer important.

On the other hand, latter view also have some own reasons. Firstly, online entertainment cannot give type of experience given by them. Second reason is , theatres and cinemas also contribute to economy by providing huge amount of tax money . Moreover, it is also part of the rich and heritage culture of some cities . For example: Mumbai city is well known for its film industry.

In conclusion , after analysing the both aspects carefully, I believe that even though the trend of theatres and cinemas has declined overtime because of digital development but they are equally important now as they were in the past because they contribute in economic development and show the rich culture of city.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both views on theatres and cinemas (their decline due to digital alternatives versus their enduring economic and cultural importance) and provides a clear personal position in the introduction and conclusion. Ideas are relevant, noting factors such as accessibility, cost, economic contribution, and cultural heritage, as seen in the example of Mumbai. However, the development of ideas tends to be somewhat superficial and relies on generalisations rather than fully extended arguments. For instance, the discussion on online entertainment lacks specific depth beyond mentioning cost and accessibility. This places the response comfortably at Band 6.0, as it addresses all parts of the task with relevant ideas, though some areas remain slightly under-developed.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear progression from introduction to body paragraphs and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas, with each body paragraph focusing on a specific viewpoint. Cohesive devices are employed to link ideas, such as 'To commence with', 'First and foremost', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion'. However, referencing and punctuation issues occasionally make the flow mechanical or slightly faulty, such as unnecessary spaces before punctuation marks (e.g., 'years , theatres' and 'access of internet'). Additionally, the transition into the thesis statement ('I shed some lights on both aspects') feels slightly unnatural. Overall, the organizational structure is clear, aligning well with the Band 6 descriptor.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully attempting less common items such as 'vindication', 'digital development', and 'cultural heritage'. However, there are notable lexical errors and awkward collocations throughout the text. Examples include 'have became the part' instead of 'have become part', 'number of masses' instead of 'many people', 'access of internet' instead of 'access to the internet', and 'rich and heritage culture' instead of 'rich cultural heritage'. While these vocabulary and word-choice errors are noticeable, they do not impede overall communication. The lexical range and control fit the criteria for a Band 5.5, reflecting an adequate vocabulary with recurring inaccuracies.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The writing exhibits a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating attempts at subordination and relative clauses (e.g., 'even though the trend of theatres and cinemas has declined overtime because of digital development but they are equally important'). However, this particular sentence contains a common redundancy error ('even though... but'). There are also frequent grammatical inaccuracies, including missing articles ('access of internet', 'part of city'), incorrect verb forms ('have became'), and punctuation errors involving spacing around commas. Although these errors are frequent, they rarely impede communication as the reader can still readily understand the intended meaning. This performance is characteristic of Band 5.0, where a limited range of structures and frequent errors persist.

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