Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-25
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)
Nowadays, the rise in digital platforms such as Netflix, have completely transformed the use of media. Many individuals argue that theatres and cinemas are no longer required as one can watch entertainment things on online platforms, while other believe that theatres and cinemas still play a crucial role both economically as well as culturally. I strongly agree with the later.
On the one hand, nowadays many online platforms such asNetfix, Digital+, come into existence, which help individuals to watch movies, web series, serials, documentaries online and at any time. To elaborate, the online platforms are easily available and one can watch at any time and also, continue the series from where it left. For example, due to busy life, if someone is not able to watch full movie or series, then, these platforms can recontinued from where it left and one can get entertained anywhere and at any time. Also, these platforms eliminate the expensive payment on tickets.
On the other hand, theatres and cinemas are very important both economically and culturally. To explain, they provide employment to many people. As they are good in acting, so these platforms help them to show their talent. They provide jobs to millions of people, frame many actors, give them chance to show their talent. Moreover, many individuals livelihood is just because of these cinemas and theatres. To illustrate, there is collective experience of laughing, watching, crying together, or a feeling of suspense while watching these cinemas.
In conclusion, I agree that theatres and cinemas are still required in the economy as these platforms provide employment to millions of people. No doubt, digital platforms are easy way of entertainment but theatrs are the traditional way of getting entertained and still required both economically as well as culturally.
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 response addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both the decline of theatres due to online streaming and their ongoing economic and cultural importance. A clear position is established in the introduction and maintained throughout the essay. The ideas are generally relevant, though some arguments in the body paragraphs tend to be repetitive—for instance, the points regarding employment and talent in the second body paragraph overlap significantly. Furthermore, some supporting examples lack depth, such as the generic mention of collective experiences. Nevertheless, the main requirements of the task are adequately fulfilled, placing the response firmly at Band 6.5.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The essay is divided into a clear four-paragraph structure comprising an introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion, showing an overall logical arrangement. Cohesive devices are employed to connect ideas, such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion', though referencing and transitions are occasionally mechanical or faulty, as seen in the phrase 'due to busy life, if someone is not able to... then, these platforms can recontinued from where it left'. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the competing views, but paragraph transitions and internal flow could be smoother to achieve higher bands.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for the task, successfully using terms like 'digital platforms', 'documentaries', 'livelihood', and 'traditional way'. However, there are notable word-choice errors, typographical issues, and spelling mistakes throughout the text, such as 'Netfix' instead of 'Netflix', 'recontinued' instead of 'resumed', and 'theatrs' instead of 'theatres'. The misuse of 'later' instead of 'latter' in the introduction also detracts from precision. While uncommon vocabulary is attempted, these inaccuracies place the lexical score at a solid 6.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some attempt at variety with subordinate clauses and conditional structures. However, grammatical errors are frequent, particularly regarding preposition use, verb forms, and awkward phrasing, such as 'entertainment things on online platforms' and 'many individuals livelihood is just because of these cinemas'. Punctuation and tense consistency also falter in places, such as 'these platforms can recontinued'. While communication is rarely impeded, the density of errors prevents the grammar score from reaching a Band 6.5.
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