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)
From my perspective, cinemas and theatres have had a significant impact on society and how people interact with one another. At the same time, there is a personal benefit in watching entertainment in person as well.
In the early stages of entertainment, people didn't have much access to personal entertainment facilities; as a result, they ended up going to the theatres to watch movies. While going there, some people interacted with each other based on their interests; in addition, it brought economic benefits to society as well because of taxes.
On the other hand, watching movies online is more focused on the person's personal interest, and it is easy to watch anywhere, irrespective of surroundings, and no taxes will be paid, so this could lead to damage to the theatre owners who are paying tax for the same online movie. For instance, pirate movies are harmful to theatres and cinemas as well.
In conclusion, if everyone starts going to theatres for now and then, it can lead to economically benefit the theatres instead of simply watching it online, and owners of theatres should also focus on people's interests as well to establish the balance.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, as it contains only 194 words. This under-length severely limits the development of ideas. While the student attempts to discuss both views regarding the importance of cinemas and theatres versus online streaming, the ideas remain superficial and lack extension. For instance, the economic benefits are mentioned briefly through taxation, and social interaction is touched upon without deep exploration. A clear personal position is attempted in the conclusion, but due to the underdeveloped arguments and failure to meet the length requirement, this criterion falls into Band 5.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay has a basic structure with an introduction, body paragraphs addressing different aspects, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is attempted, though the division is somewhat brief. Cohesive devices are used to link sentences and ideas, such as 'At the same time,' 'While going there,' and 'On the other hand.' However, referencing and transitions are at times mechanical or slightly confusing, particularly in the final paragraph where phrases like 'going to theatres for now and then' disrupt the logical flow. Overall, the organization shows an attempt at coherent arrangement, fitting Band 6 characteristics.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task, allowing the student to communicate basic ideas about entertainment, taxation, and personal preferences. Words and phrases such as 'significant impact,' 'economic benefits,' and 'personal interest' demonstrate an acceptable range. However, there are noticeable limitations and awkward word choices, such as 'pirate movies are harmful' (instead of pirated content) and 'lead to economically benefit' (grammatical collocation error). These lexical inaccuracies and the limited variety of less common items place the lexical resource at a Band 5.5, rounded to 5.0 or 5.5 depending on overall precision.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing subordinating clauses such as 'While going there, some people interacted...' and 'if everyone starts going...'. However, there are several grammatical errors and awkward structures throughout the text, including 'lead to economically benefit' and 'for now and then' instead of 'from time to time'. Punctuation is generally acceptable, but grammatical slips in word formation and verb complementation are frequent enough to cause occasional difficulty for the reader, aligning the performance with Band 5.5.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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