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 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 a country's monetary.

One of the main reasons 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 types 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 a story of the movie and hero, which enhances 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 available at a very little cost. But I firmly believe that some 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 5.5

The student addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both views—that cinemas are no longer important due to online platforms, and that they remain economically and culturally significant. The writer also clearly states their own opinion in the introduction and reiterates it in the conclusion. Ideas are relevant, such as mentioning employment opportunities around theaters and the promotion of social interaction and traditions. However, some ideas lack deep extension and remain somewhat superficial, such as the brief mention of food stalls or piracy. Overall, the task is addressed adequately, fitting the criteria for a Band 6.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response features a coherent overall arrangement with a clear paragraph structure, moving logically from introduction to body paragraphs discussing economic benefits, cultural values, counter-arguments, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'In addition', 'Another significant advantage', and 'In conclusion'. However, some cohesive referencing and transitions are a bit mechanical or repetitive, such as starting consecutive sentences with 'In addition'. Paragraphing is handled appropriately overall, leading to a solid Band 6.5 performance.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common items such as 'monetary', 'sustainable economy', and 'unauthorized manner'. However, there are noticeable word choice and collocation inaccuracies throughout the text, such as writing 'tradition sectors' instead of 'traditional sectors' or 'boost up the economy' instead of 'boost the economy'. Furthermore, phrases like 'the access to the movies or web-series have become easily reachable' contain awkward phrasing. These lexical errors do not impede communication, placing the response firmly at Band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and conditional-like structures successfully in places. However, there are several grammatical errors and awkward agreements throughout the text. For instance, the opening sentence contains a structural flaw ('whether cinemas are more important or online movie platforms'). Additionally, there is a subject-verb agreement error in 'the access to the movies or web-series have become easily reachable', and an unnatural comparative structure in 'As more people come to watch a movie in cinema halls, the more revenue will be generated'. Punctuation and minor structural slips occur frequently enough to prevent a higher band, making Band 6.0 appropriate.

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