Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-19

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)

In this digital era, some people argue that cinemas and theatres are now becoming obsolete because people can enjoy watching all movies and dramas on the online platforms such as netfilx. Whereas, others believe that it should not be completety vanished as it support the econonic system of the country and holds a cultrual value too. For me, this is an understandable point of view and perhaps theatres and cinemas should not be complelety obsolete.

On the one hand, there is definelty a success in the digital paltforms with great benefits for the audience. The audience can watch movies, series or dramas on the various online stremaing platforms whenever they want. For instance, people can watch latest series or movies while travelling in train or a bus on the netflix without rushing to the cinemas early to buy the tickets before it sold out. They can enjoy the entertainment shows in their own bedroom or on a couch. Moreover, they can watch the same movie for as many times as they want.

On the other hand, the cinemas and theatres hold a cultural value along with the economical support. Watching a movie in a cinema gives a different kind of experience to the audience as compared to watching it on a mobile or on a laptops. In the context of experience; people can feel they are in a movie by watching it on big white curtain with great sound. Although the online streaming is quite comfortable, audience can not stream without the subscription which is costlier.

My own view is that, there should be a balance in between both entertainment pathways. People can repeatedly watch their favourite entertainment online. In addition, the cinemas and theatres the artists get paid for their hard work.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The student addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both views—the rise of digital platforms and the ongoing economic and cultural importance of cinemas and theatres—and includes a clear personal opinion. The position is maintained throughout the essay. However, some ideas are slightly under-developed or briefly stated, particularly in the conclusion where the point about artists getting paid is introduced rather abruptly without sufficient explanation. For instance, the discussion on cultural value could have been extended with more specific examples. Nevertheless, the response covers the core requirements of the task adequately, aligning well with the Band 6 descriptor where all parts of the task are addressed, although some aspects require deeper development and more robust support.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with clear paragraphing, dividing the introduction, two body paragraphs, and conclusion logically. Cohesive devices are employed to connect ideas, such as On the one hand and On the other hand, which helps structure the contrasting views. However, referencing and cohesion are sometimes faulty or mechanical. For example, the transition into the conclusion My own view is that, there should be a balance in between both entertainment pathways feels slightly disjointed, and the final sentence lacks a clear logical link to the preceding clause about artists getting paid. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, but the flow between sentences occasionally stumbles, which places this response comfortably at Band 6.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating topic-related terms such as digital era, streaming platforms, cultural value, and subscription. However, there are notable spelling and word-choice errors throughout the text, including netfilx, completety, econonic, cultrual, complelety, and stremaing. Furthermore, the writer attempts less common vocabulary but experiences some inaccuracy, such as the awkward phrase big white curtain instead of big screen. While these errors do not impede overall communication, their frequency prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. The lexical range is minimally sufficient to convey the intended points, making Band 6 an accurate reflection of the student's performance.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing subordinate clauses such as because people can enjoy watching... and while travelling in train or a bus. However, there are frequent grammatical errors and awkward phrasing, such as on the online platforms instead of on online platforms, in train or a bus instead of on a train or a bus, and audience can not stream without the subscription. Punctuation and article usage also show inconsistencies. Despite these errors, the sentence structures are sufficiently varied, and the meaning generally remains clear without being impeded. This balance of mixed structures and persistent errors fits the Band 6 descriptor well.

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.