Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

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

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)

Have you ever noticed that digitisation is steeling our nostalgia?

We live in a world where digitisation is replacing everything around us and even some cases, it has replaced humans as well. We can just get whatever we want by pressing a button that's something exciting and as well as dangerous for today's modern society both economically and culturally.

Theaters and cinemas always remained an ultimate source of entertainment from decades and they also supported millions of people financially. But people think they're no longer important as people can watch them online while sitting in their own space. This is definitely a facility digitalism has provided so people who can't afford time or tickets for cinemas can watch their favourite shows at home.

However, some people think that cinemas and theatres are still important for economical benefits and cultural preservation that is completely true. Art is always being sensed that's not possible through a laptop or mobile screen. When people go to cinemas or theaters after a hectic work routine, they get an abrupt boost of dopamine and forget about all the miseries they live in.

Finally, i wanted to conclude that there's nothing completely right or wrong about digitalisation. It is something made for humans' convenience. But in today's era, where work stress is so high and people have lack of knowledge about their culture due to modernization, it is important to take some time to go out, buy tickets and enjoy cinemas and theaters and let the stress finds no way back to you.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both views—that digital platforms make physical cinemas and theatres obsolete versus their ongoing economic and cultural value—while also providing a clear personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited and tends to rely on generalisations rather than detailed explanation. For instance, the mention that art is 'always being sensed' is a strong cultural point, but it remains brief and undeveloped. The position is clear throughout the essay, and the arguments presented are relevant to the prompt, placing this performance solidly at Band 6.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear attempt at paragraphing, moving from an introduction to discussion of both views, and concluding with a personal stance. However, cohesion is at times faulty and mechanical. For example, the transition 'Finally, i wanted to conclude' is informal and intrusive. Referencing can also be slightly unclear, such as the pronoun reference in 'so people can watch them online' where 'them' refers to entertainment/shows rather than the cinemas themselves. Paragraphing is used, but the logical progression between paragraphs could be smoother to achieve a higher band.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, but contains noticeable spelling and word choice errors that detract from precision. For example, the student writes 'steeling our nostalgia' instead of 'stealing', and uses 'economical' where 'economic' is required. While there are attempts to use less common vocabulary like 'digitisation', 'convenience', and 'preservation', the frequent slips in spelling ('digitism') and word formation limit the lexical score. Communication is not impeded, but the range and accuracy remain at a Band 5.5 level.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The writer employs a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as conditional and relative clauses ('We live in a world where digitisation is replacing everything around us'). However, there are frequent grammatical errors and punctuation issues, including lowercase 'i' in the final paragraph, run-on sentences, and faulty structures like 'where work stress is so high and people have lack of knowledge'. Despite these errors, meaning is generally clear and they do not severely impede communication. Control over complex structures is inconsistent, justifying a Band 5.5 score.

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