Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-20
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)
Technology advancement have fundamentally changed how people choose to consume films, plays and performances. While some people argue that in the sparkling era of digital you can access all media online, others believe that these venues are significantly important for the economic and cultural values. This essay will discuss both perspectives before giving my opinion.
On one hand, it is argued that theatres and cinemas have lost much of their relevance in digital world because online platforms offer much more convenience and affordability. For instance, the online entertainment tools such as Netflix or Amazon Prime provide all kinds of pleasure in a whole package. However, you do not have to waste your money on traditional play venues rathar than having the access in one place comfortably and without excessive cost. Consequently, online media just overtooken the cultural venues in a most reliable and convenient way.
On the other hand, many people maintain that cinemas and theatres continue to play a vital role in the economy and culture of a society. For example, these venues employ staff like technicians, actors and performers and support nearby businesses such as restaurants, parking and retail services and by closing these can hurt the economic growth. Similarly, live performances offers something streaming cannot replicate at home like liveness and environment, so that could be essential to maintain traditional values.
In conclusion, while online entertainment offers affordability and convenience, theatres and cinemas provide a sense of cultural and economic importance. In my opinion, both sides of entertainment can coexist, as they serves different purposes and appeal to different audience needs.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The student addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both views—the decline of theatres and cinemas due to digital streaming and their ongoing economic and cultural importance—and presents a clear personal opinion. The position is maintained throughout the essay. The ideas are generally relevant and extended, such as mentioning specific employment and community benefits in the third paragraph. However, some arguments lack deeper elaboration. For instance, the first body paragraph over-generalises by stating that online entertainment entirely overtakes cultural venues without acknowledging nuances. Overall, the response meets the criteria for Band 6.5, as it addresses all parts of the task with relevant ideas, though some parts are slightly under-developed.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs presenting opposing views, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate each main idea. Cohesive devices such as 'On one hand,' 'On the other hand,' and 'In conclusion' are utilised to structure the response. However, there are some flaws in cohesion and referencing, such as 'rathar than having the access' and 'online media just overtooken the cultural venues in a most reliable and convenient way,' which feel slightly mechanical or awkward. Additionally, pronoun referencing in the second paragraph ('However, you do not have to waste your money') is slightly informal and imprecise. For these reasons, a score of 6.0 is appropriate.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting less common terms such as 'fundamentally changed,' 'convenience and affordability,' and 'economic growth.' However, there are notable vocabulary and spelling errors, such as 'Technology advancement' (instead of technological advancements), 'rathar' (instead of rather), and 'overtaken' used incorrectly as 'overtaken' with 'just' in a past tense context. Word choice is occasionally imprecise, for example, 'sparkling era of digital' instead of 'digital age'. While communication is not impeded, these inaccuracies prevent the essay from reaching a higher band. Therefore, a score of 6.0 accurately reflects the lexical control demonstrated.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating conditional and participial phrases such as 'While some people argue that...' and 'employ staff like technicians... and support nearby businesses... and by closing these can hurt'. However, grammatical errors are frequent enough to affect the overall accuracy. Examples include 'Technology advancement have' (subject-verb agreement error), 'online media just overtooken' (incorrect verb form), 'offers something streaming cannot replicate... like liveness and environment, so that could be essential' (run-on/comma-spliced structure), and 'they serves different purposes' (subject-verb agreement error). Because errors occur across both simple and complex structures, a band score of 6.0 is well-justified.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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