Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-22
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 an era characterized by rapid social and technological change, some people reflect that in the digital age theatres and cinemas are no longer vital. On the other hand, some individuals believe that, they are still important. In my opinion, cinemas and theaters still have an important role in shaping economy and culture.
On one hand, few individuals reflect that theaters and cinemas are not important in today's world of technology because digital era provides us with numerous lucrative options for entertainment. Nowadays, numerous people prefer to watch films, series and drams on their gadgets; while staying in their comfort zone and it is invariably easy for them and they do not have to go outside to watch something. Moreover, people do not have to wait in a long queue because they can watch whatever they want on just a single click. For instance, new movies have the waiting list for tickets and advance bookings. While on the other side, every new and old movie is available internet therefore, viewers do not have to wait for it.
Some people believe that, cinemas and theatres still have an obligatory role, theaters are connected to the culture and a well-developed culture give boost to the economy of the country. When people visit to watch theatre plays, they are giving importance to the actors who represents our culture. Moreover, when people buy tickets for cinemas and theatres, they are contributing in the economy of the state. Meanwhile individuals watch films and dramas on big screens with their friends and family, which is unable to watch at home.
In my opinion, I acknowledge that digital era has provides us numerous benefits in every field of life, it is very convenient to watch anything at home. However, I believe that cinemas and theaters are inevitable because they are connect to our ancestors' cultural values and they are contributing in the economic growth of the country.
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
You have addressed all parts of the prompt by discussing both views—the decline of theatres and cinemas due to online entertainment, and their continued economic and cultural importance—while also clearly stating your own position. Your ideas are relevant and generally well-supported, particularly in your explanation of why people prefer online streaming for convenience and cost-saving reasons. However, some arguments lack full extension; for example, the point about cultural representation in theatres could be explored in greater depth with a more specific example. Despite this slight under-development, your position remains clear throughout the essay, and you successfully satisfy the requirements of the task. This aligns well with the Band 6.5 to 7.0 descriptors, so a score of 6.5 is awarded.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
Your essay has a clear overall structure with a recognizable introduction, body paragraphs addressing each perspective, and a concluding paragraph that reiterates your viewpoint. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different ideas. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or repetitive, as seen with phrases like 'On one hand,' 'While on the other side,' and 'Moreover.' Additionally, some referencing is slightly awkward, such as writing 'that, they are still important' with an unnecessary comma, and 'is unable to watch at home,' which lacks a clear subject. These minor cohesion and referencing issues place your essay firmly in the Band 6 category.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms such as 'lucrative options,' 'convenient,' 'inevitable,' and 'economic growth.' You also make some attempts at less common vocabulary. However, there are noticeable word-choice and collocation errors throughout the response, such as 'drams' instead of 'dramas,' 'available internet' missing the preposition 'on the,' 'giving importance to' instead of 'supporting,' and 'connect to our ancestors' cultural values' instead of 'connected to.' While these errors do not prevent your meaning from being understood, they prevent you from achieving a higher band score, making Band 6 an appropriate evaluation.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and conditional structures. However, your writing contains frequent grammatical errors, particularly regarding verb forms, prepositions, and articles. Examples include 'has provides us' (incorrect tense construction), 'new movies have the waiting list' (article misuse), 'contributing in the economy' (preposition error), and 'which is unable to watch at home' (passive voice error). Punctuation errors are also present, such as unnecessary commas interrupting sentence flow (e.g., 'believe that, cinemas'). Although these errors do not impede overall communication, their frequency means the grammar control is best described by the Band 6 descriptors.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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