Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-24

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 6.5)

Theatres and cinemas as a source of entertainment, have proven to be an integral part of our society throughout the history. Some advocate regarding their negligible importance due to the emergence of the OTT platforms, while others argue about their economical and cultural significance. I firmly concur with prior notion.

The most compelling rationale for this view is that in contemporary society it is extremely challenging for people to comply to the standard schedules of the cinemas due to the tiring and exhausting lifestyles. Another supporting argument is that with increasing inflation, the ticket prices for the theatres have spiked through the roofs, hence resulting in the internet and other platforms being the perfect alternatives. On the platforms such as Netflix, audiences have the freedom to choose whatever they want to see, can watch whenever they want, at an almost negilible cost.

On the other hand the opposing argument of the unscathed economic and cultural value of the cinemas also remains valid. Theatres and cinemas are a vital part of a countrie's heritage, culture and architecture. Indicating its immmense importance to the overall communities. These predominantly act as historic landmarks, enabling different generations to reminisce about a wide range of artistic expressions in the form of movies and telefilms. Moreover, with these amenities adapting to the latest trends and technology can significantly contribute to the entertainment industry, ensuring that this unique culture of watching movies on big screens along with friends and family, remains alive for the future generations.

To sum it up, although the emergence of the internet and digital platforms has diminished the audiences of the cinemas but their cultural and economical significance cannot be undermined. I stand by the former statement that introduction of digital era has enabled the people to acquire entertainment on their own terms and conditions, making it more a more feasible approach.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The candidate addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both views—the decline of cinemas due to digital streaming and their ongoing economic and cultural importance—while also clearly stating a personal opinion. The position is maintained throughout the response. Ideas are generally well-extended and supported, such as mentioning specific factors like subscription costs, tiring lifestyles, and cultural heritage landmarks. However, there is a slight contradiction in the conclusion where the writer mentions that 'their cultural and economical significance cannot be undermined' immediately after stating agreement with the view that they are no longer important, which slightly muddies the final stance. Overall, the task is addressed well, fulfilling the requirements for Band 7.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response demonstrates clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Information and ideas are divided into coherent paragraphs, with each paragraph having a clear central topic. Cohesive devices such as 'The most compelling rationale', 'On the other hand', and 'Moreover' are used to guide the reader through the arguments, although some referencing is slightly clunky, such as 'prior notion' or 'former statement'. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the introduction, the two body paragraphs exploring opposing views, and the conclusion. There is a clear overall progression, placing this firmly in the Band 7 category.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

The student uses a sufficient range of vocabulary with some flexibility and precision, incorporating less common items such as 'contemporary society', 'inexorably', 'heritage', and 'reminisce'. There are occasional lexical inaccuracies and awkward collocations, such as 'comply to standard schedules' (instead of 'adhere to'), 'spiked through the roofs' (a mixed idiom of 'skyrocketed' and 'went through the roof'), and a spelling slip with 'negilible' and 'countrie's'. Despite these minor errors, the vocabulary is adequate to convey precise meanings and does not impede communication, matching the Band 6.5 to 7.0 profile; a 7.0 is awarded for the successful use of ambitious phrases like 'artistic expressions'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The writer uses a variety of complex structures with frequent error-free sentences, demonstrating good control of grammar. Examples of successful complex structures include conditional and participial clauses such as 'with increasing inflation, the ticket prices for the theatres have spiked...' and 'ensuring that this unique culture... remains alive'. However, there are some minor grammatical errors, such as a missing article in 'on the platforms such as Netflix', a slight fragment/run-on issue in 'Indicating its immmense importance', and the incorrect preposition in 'comply to'. Punctuation is generally accurate, and these minor lapses do not impede communication, fully justifying a Band 7 score.

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