Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-16

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 6.0)

Theatres and cinemas have lost their charm in this digital age, as people can watch all the entertainment on their gadgets online. While some people might argue that the theatres and cinemas still hold their beauty and attract the viewers.

Admittedly, this is true mostly. Almost all the movies and seasons are available online, with one just tap you can watch all variety of shows and movies. This saves time and also spares one the hassle of going to a cinema, standing in ques and spending money. People today have such busy lives that they don't get time to specially go and watch something, this is rather an era of watching netflix and relax at home, with your family. This also means that you get to choose what you want to watch and you can select age appropriate shows to watch with your kids and parents, which is sadly not the case in cinemas.

However, the charm of cinemas and theatres, the live performances in a theatre can never be replaced by any online show. Theatres have their own beauty and art showcased on the platform. There, you can watch live the emotions and efforts being put to bring the story alive, watching across the screen kills the beauty of experiencing it live. In addition to that, watching movies or shows in cinemas, on a bigger screen is more impactful than watching it on your phone or a laptop screen.

For a long period of time I used to go to cinemas as well but now with all those working hours and busy lifestyle it's easier to watch something on netflix then to go to a cinema or theatre for that matter.

In conclusion, cinemas and theatres are getting less popular by each passing day and their fate doesn't really have a bright future in the coming years as well. I would rather agree with the statement that they are doomed now and will continue to follow the path with more digitalisation.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses both parts of the prompt regarding the decline of theatres and cinemas in the digital age versus their economic and cultural importance, and clearly states the writer's opinion. The introduction and body paragraphs present relevant ideas, such as convenience and variety online contrasted with the live artistic experience of theatres. However, the development of ideas remains somewhat limited and superficial. For instance, the economic and cultural aspects mentioned in the prompt are only briefly touched upon, and the arguments lack deep extension or concrete examples from the writer's knowledge. Additionally, the second paragraph trails off into a sentence fragment ('While some people might argue that the theatres and cinemas still hold their beauty and attract the viewers.'). Consequently, the task is addressed adequately, but the lack of fully extended ideas places this in the Band 6 category.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay displays a generally coherent overall arrangement with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a concluding stance. Paragraphing is used to separate distinct ideas, such as the advantages of online streaming versus the enduring charm of live performances. However, cohesion is sometimes faulty or mechanical. The opening paragraph contains a fragmented sentence ('While some people...'), and transitions between sentences can feel abrupt, as seen in the sudden jump to personal experience in the fourth paragraph ('For a long period of time I used to go to cinemas...'). Referencing and substitution are occasionally unclear, and logical progression falters slightly between paragraphs due to weak cohesive ties. These issues align well with the Band 6 descriptors for cohesion and paragraphing.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully communicating everyday ideas related to entertainment, technology, and lifestyle (e.g., 'digital age', 'age appropriate', 'busy lifestyle', 'live performances'). There are attempts to use less common items, but these are sometimes marred by word choice, spelling, or collocation errors. For example, 'standing in ques' contains a spelling error ('queues'), and phrases like 'with one just tap you can watch' or 'watching across the screen' are awkward or unidiomatic. Despite these inaccuracies, the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the intended meaning without impeding the reader's understanding, fitting the criteria for Band 6.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some control over punctuation and syntax. There are examples of correct complex structures, such as concessive clauses ('While some people might argue...'). However, the text contains a notable number of grammatical errors and awkward phrasing, including comma splices and fragments (e.g., 'People today have such busy lives that they don't get time to specially go and watch something, this is rather an era...'). Other errors include preposition misuse ('watch something on netflix then to go' instead of 'than') and missing articles. These errors occur frequently enough to prevent the text from reaching Band 7, but because communication is rarely impeded, it comfortably meets the Band 6 standard.

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.