Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-14

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)

The world is growing rapidly with an advancement in new digital technologies everyday. Digital age has now become a topic of debate. Some people believe that there is no need for the cinemas and theatres because every source of entertainment is now available online. While others argue that these are still very important for the economic and cultural growth of the country. This essay will discuss both the perspectives along with my opinion.

One of the main reason why there is no longer need for the cinemas and theatres is the growing sources of digital media. Internet has now become the choice of majority because of its easy accessibility. However, entertainment can now be watched online through different social media platforms easily. As a result, they save the cost of going out and fuel expenditure. Furthermore, it saves alot of travelling time which results in more family time and comfortable environment. For example, some of my relatives have a proper digital room in their house where they enjoy watching movies, playing games online. They choose to stay at home rather going out and save their precious time and cost.

On the other hand, some people argue that cinemas and theatres are still very beneficial for the economic and cultural growth of any country. People going out to watch movies and dramas in the cinemas would result in the growth of country because they will pay for the tickets and food. Furthermore, watching movies together in one room would play an important role in the cultural growth which results in the sense of responsibilty for every citizen. For instance, if people are going out for the source of entertainment and paying for the travel cost and other expenses, it would automatically help in the country's advancement.

In conclusion, although people might be against the available online source of entertainment. while, in my opinion, i firmly believe in the digital age and the would rather choose to watch the entertainment online.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both views—that cinemas are obsolete due to online alternatives, and that they remain economically and culturally important—while also providing a clear personal opinion. The main ideas are presented and supported with examples, such as the mention of relatives with a dedicated digital room. However, some arguments remain somewhat limited and under-developed, particularly the cultural argument regarding cinemas building a 'sense of responsibility,' which lacks clear explanation. Furthermore, the final conclusion contains contradictory phrasing ('although people might be against the available online source of entertainment. while, in my opinion...'). Despite these minor issues, the student successfully covers the requirements of the prompt, earning a solid Band 6.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is divided into clear paragraphs, with an introduction, two body paragraphs representing each side of the argument, and a conclusion. There is a logical overall arrangement. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes faulty or mechanical. For example, starting the second body paragraph with 'One of the main reason' contains a grammatical error, and the transitional markers are sometimes repetitive or awkwardly placed. Paragraphing is used sufficiently to structure the ideas, but referencing and logical progression within sentences occasionally falter, such as the abrupt transition in the concluding paragraph. Overall, the organizational structure is coherent enough to place this response at Band 6.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms such as 'advancement,' 'accessibility,' 'expenditure,' and 'beneficial.' There are attempts to use less common vocabulary, but these are sometimes accompanied by word-choice or collocation errors, such as 'growing sources of digital media' or 'available online source of entertainment.' Additionally, spelling and word form errors occur, such as 'alot' (written as one word) and the singular/plural mismatch in 'One of the main reason.' These errors do not seriously impede communication, allowing the response to comfortably achieve a Band 6.0 for lexical resource.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and conditional structures. However, there are noticeable grammatical errors throughout the text, including subject-verb agreement issues ('One of the main reason... is'), preposition errors ('going out instead of going out'), and major punctuation and sentence-structure faults in the conclusion ('...online source of entertainment. while, in my opinion, i...'). While these errors do not impede overall comprehension, they occur frequently enough to prevent the essay from reaching a higher band. The control of grammar aligns well with the Band 6 descriptors.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.