Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-28
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)
Some people argue that the movie theatres and cinema hall have lost its importance as user can watch all the entertaining shows in a digital platform, as the shows are easily accessible to the people in this modern digital era. There are other groups who assume that the theatres are still relevant due its traditional value in both economic and cultural aspects. I agree to this statement because it brings a feeling of togetherness among the audience.
On the one hand, people can watch the movie shows in a fraction of time as they are available digitally and is portable too. There are thousands of multiple shows online that keeps people engaged. In this modern hectic schedule , they prefer to watch movies on their own preferred time. For example, Netflix offers the newest release movies on their OTT platform before releasing it in the nearest cinemas.
On the other hand, theatres are still of great importance both financially and historically as they provide a great sense of pride to the work and effort artist put into it. The cinema industry has been running from a very long period of time before the digital age came to existence. I agree to this as it brings a lot of individual closer. One can have a pleasant experience of theatres which the online platforms barely offer. For instance, Kollywood industry symbolizes the film hall and movie theatres as a temple as the people get to work and sustain their livelihood through the cinemas.
In conclusion, people tend to watch the pleasing films in digital sites due to its availability throughout but most individuals still prefer to watch in a movie theatre as it offers a real experience and unity.
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 rise of digital platforms and the ongoing economic and cultural importance of physical cinemas—while also clearly stating a personal opinion in the introduction ("I agree to this statement because it brings a feeling of togetherness"). The ideas are generally relevant and extended with examples, such as mentioning Netflix and the Kollywood industry. However, some arguments tend to over-generalise or lack deeper elaboration, and the position could be integrated more cohesively throughout the body paragraphs. These characteristics align well with a Band 6.5 to 7.0 profile; given the clear coverage of all requirements and stated position, a score of 6.5 is awarded.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response is organized into a clear four-paragraph structure comprising an introduction, two body paragraphs representing opposing views, and a conclusion. Logical sequencing is present, with clear transition markers such as "On the one hand" and "On the other hand." However, cohesive devices are sometimes mechanical or repetitive, and referencing occasionally lacks clarity (for instance, pronoun reference in "due its traditional value" and "due to its availability throughout"). Paragraphing is used appropriately overall, but the logical progression within the third paragraph feels slightly abrupt. These features place the essay firmly at Band 6.0.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary for the task, attempting less common items and industry-specific terms such as "OTT platform," "livelihood," and "symbolizes." However, there are noticeable word choice and collocation inaccuracies throughout the text, including "movie theatres and cinema hall have lost its importance as user can watch all the entertaining shows in a digital platform" and "brings a lot of individual closer." Spelling and morphological errors like missing plurals or articles also occur ("from a very long period of time"). Because the vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the main points despite frequent minor errors, a band score of 6.0 is appropriate.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including conditional and relative clauses. However, there are frequent grammatical errors in agreement and article usage, such as "the movie theatres and cinema hall have lost its importance," "due its traditional value," and "newest release movies." Punctuation also suffers from occasional misplacements, such as unnecessary spaces before commas. While these errors do not impede overall communication and the meaning remains clear, they restrict the proportion of error-free sentences. Therefore, a band score of 6.0 reflects the current grammatical control.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.