Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-13

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)

It is arguable that the charisma of the theatre has lost as people increasingly prefer online entertainment. However, I strongly agree that theatres and cinemas remain important both economically and culturally. A variety of cultural performances can only be experienced live in theatres and not digitally, and they provide significant employment opportunities to actors and staff.

Different regional performances performed in the auditoriums have their own charm and it is essential to watch it live. Watching it live has its own benefits as actors delivering their emotions, performing dance, or delivering dialogues dramatically cannot be fully captured on screen. For instance, a Kathak dancer's facial expressions and hand movements cannot be fully appreciated on screen. Therefore, live performances provide a unique cultural experience that online platforms cannot replace. Furthermore, the funds spent on OTT platforms can be diverted to actors, lighting assistants, and other theatre staff, which provides significant employment opportunities in this high-cost economy. This would provide a stable livelihood for theatre professionals and support the entertainment industry. Since actors are paid more, they showcase their acting more efficiently, and this makes the film blockbuster. Consequently, better acting attracts more audience and this contributes more to the entertainment industry's economy.

In contrast, people can binge-watch films at home during their spare time. As people have busy schedules in today's economy and cannot attend theatre shows at fixed timings, online platforms provide the flexibility to watch whenever convenient.

To sum up, it is crucial to keep the cultural performances alive and provide actors with the opportunity to showcase their talent in order to grow the entertainment industry economically.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both views—the rise of online entertainment and the enduring economic and cultural significance of theatres and cinemas—while clearly stating the writer's opinion. The ideas are generally relevant, such as the unique live experience of cultural performances like a Kathak dancer and the economic benefits for industry staff. However, some arguments, such as the claim that higher actor pay directly leads to blockbuster films, are slightly underdeveloped or overgeneralized. The position is maintained throughout the essay. Overall, the task is addressed adequately, fitting the criteria for a solid Band 6.5 or Band 7, but because the ideas lack the fully extended support characteristic of higher bands, a Band 6.0 is most fitting.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear progression of ideas from the introduction, through the body paragraphs covering cultural and economic benefits, to the opposing view and conclusion. Paragraphing is used logically, separating the distinct viewpoints effectively. Cohesive devices are employed, such as 'Furthermore', 'In contrast', and 'To sum up', though referencing is occasionally a bit repetitive or mechanical (e.g., repeating 'Watching it live' and 'on screen'). The flow between sentences is generally clear, allowing the reader to follow the argument without significant difficulty. These features align well with the Band 6 descriptor, where organisation is clear and progression is maintained despite some occasional mechanical cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common lexical items such as 'charisma', 'auditoriums', 'livelihood', and 'binge-watch'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'the charisma of the theatre has lost' (should be 'has been lost' or 'has faded') and 'regional performances performed' (awkward repetition). Spelling is generally accurate, and vocabulary does not impede communication, placing the response comfortably within the Band 6 range.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating relative clauses and conditional-like structures successfully. There are several grammatical errors present, such as the passive voice error in 'the charisma of the theatre has lost', missing articles, and awkward phrasing like 'Different regional performances performed in the auditoriums have their own charm and it is essential to watch it live'. Despite these errors, they rarely impede communication, and the meaning remains clear throughout the text. This balance of mixed structures and manageable errors corresponds directly to the Band 6 descriptors.

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

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