Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-29
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)
Opinions are divided on whether cinemas may be irrelevant in future as all the content is now consumed online while others reject this notion and argue that theatres and cinemas are still vital for both economically and culturally. This essay will discuss both views before presenting my opinion.
Some people argue that in this modern digital world everything is now available on smartohones. Entertainment is one of the kind as films and dramas are widely available on internet. For instance, Netflix and Amazon Prime are two companies widely known for its vast range of content. Moreover, people can consume entertainment any time of the day on these platforms as these applications give freedom to their users so that these companies continusously replacing classic cinema culture.
On the other hand, people still believe that theatres and cinemas are still provide better expereince. Furthermore, people connects these facilites with the livelihood of a specific community such as artists. For example, in theatres local artists perform on regular basis which is the major source of their income. In addition, in some places cinemas and theatres are the main reason of tourism which give economical benefits to other businesses.
In my opinion, we cannot deny the fact that theatres and cinemas provide better experience and also a major source of income for many families. Artists can play a role here in which they can produce a content which is popular in young generation. In my view outdated content is the main reason of declining of these aminities.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both the view that cinemas are no longer important due to online streaming and the counterargument regarding their economic and cultural value. A personal position is also stated and maintained, particularly in the conclusion. However, the ideas are somewhat limited and under-developed, aligning with the Band 6 descriptor. For instance, the discussion on streaming services touches upon Netflix and Amazon Prime, but stops short of fully exploring how digital accessibility truly impacts the traditional box office. Similarly, the points regarding local artists and tourism are introduced but lack specific, extended examples. The prompt is sufficiently answered to pass the threshold, but greater depth of argument would be required for a higher band.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The essay presents a clear overall arrangement with an introduction, two body paragraphs discussing opposing views, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate ideas. Cohesive devices are employed, such as 'For instance', 'Moreover', and 'On the other hand'. However, referencing and cohesion are sometimes faulty or mechanical. For example, in the second body paragraph, the transition 'Furthermore, people connects these facilites with...' contains grammatical awkwardness that disrupts the logical flow. Additionally, some sentences within the paragraphs feel loosely connected, and the progression of ideas could be smoother. Overall, the structural framework meets the criteria for Band 6.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to communicate their ideas about digital entertainment and traditional cinemas. There are several attempts to use less common vocabulary, such as 'livelihood', 'amenities', and 'notion'. However, noticeable errors in word choice, spelling, and word formation are present throughout the text, such as 'smartohones', 'economically and culturally' (instead of economic and cultural), 'expereince', 'continousously', and 'connects' instead of 'connect'. These errors indicate a Band 6 level, where the range is sufficient for the task, but vocabulary limitations and inaccuracies prevent it from achieving a higher score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some variety in grammatical structures. For instance, conditional or relative clauses are attempted, as seen in 'Opinions are divided on whether cinemas may be irrelevant in future as all the content is now consumed online...'. However, there are frequent grammatical and punctuation errors that occasionally impede smooth reading, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('people connects these facilites'), missing articles ('producing a content', 'declining of these aminities'), and awkward phrasing ('so that these companies continusously replacing classic cinema culture'). These persistent errors keep the grammatical score at a Band 5.5, as complex structures are frequently faulty.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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