Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-15

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)

There is an ongoing debate about whether the cinemas are more important or online movie platforms. Some people argue that in this digital era, online platforms may replace cinemas or theaters , while others argue that cinemas and theaters have a noticeable impact on the financial and tradition sectors. I hold the view that cinemas and theaters are still crucial in order to benefit country's monetary.

One of the main reason of allowing the audience to watch movies in cinemas is definitely to boost up the economy of the country. As more people come to watch a movie in cinema halls, the more revenue will be generated. In addition, numerous employment opportunities will be created for number of citizens. For example, around any movie theater, there are different type of food stalls like popcorns, slushes and fries that can be observed.

Another significant advantage is that the cinemas therefore promote the cultural and traditional values of the country. People from different regions come to watch their favorite movies and enjoy their leisure time. They meet people with different cultural backgrounds and discuss about story of the movie and hero, which enhance the social interaction among the people.

Many people argue that cinemas are no longer crucial. In addition, the OTT platforms like Netflix, Prime Video may have some considerable benefits, for instance, the access to the movies or web-series have become easily reachable and usually a very little cost. But I firmly believe that few of the online websites are putting an extra burden to the film industry by pirating the movie in unauthorized manner before or just after release.

In conclusion, although the online platforms could save money, the cinemas are significantly important for holding a sustainable economy and promoting national culture.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both views—that cinemas are no longer important due to online platforms, and that they remain economically and culturally significant—while also presenting a clear personal opinion. The position is maintained throughout the essay. The ideas are supported with reasons and examples, such as the employment opportunities around movie theatres and the promotion of cultural values. However, some arguments, such as the mention of piracy in the fourth paragraph, are slightly underdeveloped and tangential to the core debate of economic and cultural importance. Overall, the task response is well-structured and covers the prompt adequately, earning a band score of 6.5.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is generally coherent and shows a logical overall arrangement. Progression is evident from the introduction through to the conclusion, with each body paragraph focusing on a distinct point (economic benefits, cultural benefits, and online platforms/piracy). Cohesive devices are used, such as 'In addition', 'Another significant advantage', and 'In conclusion', though some transitions feel slightly mechanical. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate ideas. Referencing is mostly clear, although the flow between the final body paragraph and the conclusion could be smoother. This level of organisation aligns well with the Band 6 descriptors.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully attempting less common items such as 'revenue', 'employment opportunities', and 'sustainable economy'. However, there are some inaccurate word choices and awkward collocations, such as 'benefit country's monetary', 'One of the main reason' (grammatical/lexical slip), and 'tradition sectors' instead of 'traditional sectors'. Spelling is generally accurate, but minor word-formation slips occur. The lexical range is sufficient to communicate the ideas clearly, but the presence of noticeable errors and imprecise phrasing prevents it from reaching a higher band, placing it firmly at a Band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The writer employs a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some control over structure. Examples of complex structures include conditional and subordinate clauses, such as 'As more people come to watch a movie in cinema halls, the more revenue will be generated.' However, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('One of the main reason'), missing articles ('in cinema' instead of 'in a cinema'), and awkward phrasing ('discuss about story'). While these errors do not severely impede communication, they occur regularly enough to restrict the score to a Band 6.0.

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