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)
It is argued that theatres and cinemas are no longer an essential part of our life as people can enjoy all the shows they want online in the digital era but theatres and cinemas are still necessary both economically and culturally. It is agreed that these entertainment opportunities still somehow effect on our everyday life. Firstly, I will explain the economic benefits of the theatres and cinemas and secondly, I will describe the cultural and social advantages.
People still prefer enjoying movies on a large screen and so they choose theatres and cinema halls. If more people go to the theatres, it will be a great source of earning money. Besides movies, they can buy fast food items, popcorn while watching the movie, result in extra income. For instance, Star Cineplex is a well known movie theatre in Bangladesh and it is now contributing around 1% of the total GDP of the country.
Theatres and cinemas can also play a vital role in socializing. People along with their friends and families can go together to the theatres and enjoy cinemas. They can spend some time outside of their home, laugh and have fun together. By doing this, they can socialise themselves, get to know about each other, obtain a chance to know the culture and activities. For example, I spend my weekends watching movies in theatres because it helps me to escape from the reality for sometime and I can explore the outside world.
In conclusion, it can be said that though we are now a part of online TV shows and games, theatres and cinemas are still somehow very important because they can support the economy and culture of a country directly or indirectly.
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 views—that cinemas are obsolete due to online viewing and that they remain economically and culturally vital—while also providing a clear personal position. The introduction outlines the writer's stance, and the body paragraphs develop relevant ideas, such as economic contributions through ticket and concession sales (exemplified by Star Cineplex in Bangladesh) and cultural/social advantages of going out with family. However, the development tends to be somewhat simplistic and relies heavily on personal anecdote rather than broader societal examples, which places this response comfortably at Band 6.0 under the Task Achievement descriptor.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear introductory paragraph, two distinct body paragraphs focusing on separate arguments, and a concluding paragraph. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate ideas. Cohesive devices are employed, such as "Firstly", "Secondly", "Besides movies", and "For instance", though some transitions feel a bit mechanical or repetitive. The logical progression is generally easy to follow, but referencing and sentence transitions occasionally lack seamless integration. These features align well with the Band 6.0 descriptors for Coherence and Cohesion.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, successfully communicating the writer's ideas. There are attempts to use less common items and topic-specific vocabulary, such as "digital era", "economic benefits", "social advantage", and "GDP of the country". However, there are notable word choice and collocation inaccuracies, such as saying entertainment opportunities "effect on our everyday life" instead of "affect" or "have an effect on", and "socialise themselves". While these errors do not impede communication, they restrict the lexical range to a solid Band 6.0 level.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some control over grammar. Examples include conditional and relative clauses like "If more people go to the theatres, it will be a great source of earning money." However, there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation, particularly incorrect verb forms or prepositions (e.g., "earning money" instead of "revenue generation", "escape from the reality for sometime" instead of "escape reality for some time"). Despite these errors, meaning is generally clear and they rarely impede communication, corresponding to a Band 6.0.
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