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)
Some people agree that in the modern technological age,cinemas are not a preffered way of entertainment,while other believed that streaming entertainment in traditional way are importsnt for economic growth and culturally. Although i agree it is most significantly convinient to watch new releases online, i belive that attending theatre in person is more beneficial as it provided a unique atmosohere between the performer and audience.
One of the biggest advantages of watching online is that it is more accessible to a larger audience. People can enjoy high-quality performances from their prefer places without having to worry about travel or to pay extra for expensive tickets.Streaming online also provides support to thr streaming media such as Netflix,Disney plus and Hulu, which provides audience to watched several movies that is no longer streaming in the theathre.This is the main counter arguments and beneficial for people who does not live in major cities or have mobility difficulties or for people who is intrested to watch films that are no longer shown in theathres.
On the other hand, majority of people prefer attending the theathre traditionallybecauses it provides a more immersive and memorable experiences. Watching actors in the cinemas where sounds was significantly louder and higher in quality,allows audiences to appreciate their emotions,expressions more directly and visually more appelaing to the eyes.For instances cinemas can also be a social activity that allows friends and family to spend quality time together.
In conclusion, although online streaming offers a greater convinience and affordability, I belived that watching films traditionally in the cinemas is a overall a better experience because of its immersive atmosphere and superior audiovisual quality.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response successfully addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both the view that cinemas are no longer important due to online streaming, and the counter-argument that they remain economically and culturally significant. The student also presents a clear personal opinion throughout the essay. The ideas are generally relevant and extended, such as discussing accessibility, cost, and the immersive sensory experience of a theatre. However, some arguments lack deeper development and contain slight confusion regarding terminology, for instance mixing up cinemas and theatres. Nevertheless, all prompt requirements are met satisfactorily, corresponding well to Band 6.5 descriptors.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear logical progression from introduction to body paragraphs and a concluding summary. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas, with the first body paragraph focusing on online streaming advantages and the second on traditional cinema benefits. Cohesive devices are employed adequately, such as 'Although', 'One of the biggest advantages', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion'. However, some cohesive referencing is slightly repetitive or mechanical, and paragraph transitions could be smoother. This level aligns closely with the Band 6.0 descriptors.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting less common items such as 'accessible', 'immersive', 'audiovisual quality', and 'mobility difficulties'. However, there are notable spelling errors throughout the response, including 'preffered', 'believed' (used as a past participle/noun form incorrectly), 'convinient', 'atmosohere', 'appelaing', and 'traditionallybecauses'. Word choice inaccuracies also occur, such as confusing 'theatres' and 'cinemas' and awkward phrasing like 'streaming media such as Netflix'. These lexical slips limit the score to a Band 5.5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, attempting subordination and relative clauses ('People can enjoy high-quality performances from their prefer places without having to worry...'). However, there are frequent grammatical errors in tense consistency, subject-verb agreement, and word forms, such as 'other believed', 'it provided', 'people who does not live', and 'is a overall a better experience'. Punctuation and spacing errors (e.g., missing spaces after commas) are also present. These errors occasionally cause minor strain for the reader, fitting the Band 5.5 descriptors well.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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