Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-17
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 a contentious agrument among people where some believe that in the present digital world, theatres and cinemas are not essential because entertainment is easily accessible online. While others reject this notion and argue that theatres and cinemas are important both economically and culturally. In the further essay, I will discuss both points of view along with my own opinion.
Many people argue that cinemas and theatres are no longer important as movies and web series are easily available on online platforms. Furthermore benefits include, as it is cost-effective with certain fee individuals can access different genres of movies. Another reason, where busy workers can watch without travelling in traffic and in their designated leisure time. For instance, the release of Game of Thrones on Netflix have many episodes where audience can watch in their free time.
Few people argue that theatres and cinemas are economically and culturally important as it supports the artists and entire crew who dedicated their time and energy in the creation of movie by providing financial support to them. Another strong reason to support theaters and cinemas are that they promote culture of a among youngsters. For instance, many older generations reimagine their old days about cinemas and about its everlasting joy.
In conclusion, cinemas and theaters are easily available on digital platforms, but the impact of movies on big screen is unmatchable. I believe that based on time a person's free time one can watch movie at anytime, and cannot ignore the fact cinemas support lives of individuals involved in its making.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both views—that digital platforms replace physical venues and that theatres and cinemas remain economically and culturally vital—while also providing a personal opinion in the introduction and conclusion. The ideas are generally relevant, such as the convenience of online streaming and the financial support owed to film crews, aligning with Band 6. However, some arguments lack full development. For example, the point regarding promoting culture among youngsters in the third paragraph is rather brief and slightly unclear ('promote culture of a among youngsters'). The conclusion introduces somewhat contradictory ideas rather than synthesising the main arguments cleanly. Consequently, the response sits comfortably within Band 6 as it addresses all parts of the task with relevant ideas, though some are under-developed.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear four-paragraph structure comprising an introduction, two body paragraphs representing opposing views, and a conclusion. Transitional markers such as 'Furthermore', 'Another reason', and 'In conclusion' are used to guide the reader through the text, fitting the Band 6 descriptor where cohesion is sometimes mechanical. Referencing is occasionally weak; for instance, the phrase 'While others reject this notion' at the start of the second sentence is a sentence fragment dependent on the previous sentence, and 'where' is used incorrectly as a relative pronoun in 'Another reason, where busy workers...'. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct themes, but logical progression within paragraphs can feel disjointed due to grammatical and connective slips.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms such as 'contentious argument', 'cost-effective', 'leisure time', and 'financial support'. However, there are noticeable lexical inaccuracies and awkward phrasing, such as 'agrument' (spelling error), 'release of Game of Thrones on Netflix have many episodes' (where a series is miscategorised as a single movie release), and 'promote culture of a among youngsters'. Despite these flaws, communication is not impeded, and the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the intended meaning, which matches the Band 6 profile of an adequate range with some word-choice and spelling errors that do not hinder understanding.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some control over structure. However, there are frequent grammatical errors and awkward syntactic constructions. Examples include 'There is a contentious agrument among people where some believe...' and 'Another strong reason to support theaters and cinemas are that...', which exhibits subject-verb agreement issues. Furthermore, clauses are sometimes incorrectly linked, as seen in 'Another reason, where busy workers can watch without travelling...'. Punctuation is generally acceptable, but structural inaccuracies persist throughout the text. Because errors occur frequently but rarely impede communication, this performance aligns with Band 6 criteria.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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