Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-01

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 5.0)

It is argued that in the digital age, theatres and cinemas are no longer important as people can watch all the entertainment they want online. Theatres and cinemas were really important in the past but now the trend has been changed. I strongly agree with this idea and this essay will support my opinion with examples. Firstly, theatres and cinemas are time consuming as people have to take proper time to go there and watch their favourite shows. It is difficult for working people and students to go and they have to wait to watch their favourite shows for the whole week. So, I think those people at home can enjoy watching their favourite things more than in the public place and they can watch at the time of their own comfort. Secondly cinemas are costly especially for young students. They charged almost fifteen hundred rupees for every ticket and it is too much for a jobless person or student. So these people can feel inferiority complex as they cant go and watch movies there. If it is available online there is no discrimination and everyone found it convenient. Cinemas and theatres has strong impact on our culture and it played an important role in the economy of a country. It is also an entertainment for the people as they can forget their worries for a while. Also, some people like to watch with friends but it is not feasible for majority of the people. In my opinion, If people can watch all the entertainment they want online with a cost-friendly option. So, in my opinion in the digital age, theatres and cinemas are no longer important.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response addresses the prompt by discussing both views and providing a personal opinion, but the development of ideas remains limited and under-developed. While you attempt to present arguments regarding time consumption and cost under the view that theatres are no longer important, these points lack specific examples or deeper extension. For instance, stating that cinemas are costly and citing a specific currency amount is relevant, but the reasoning leads to a slightly repetitive conclusion rather than a fully expanded discussion. Similarly, the alternative perspective acknowledging the cultural and economic importance of cinemas is introduced somewhat abruptly in the fourth paragraph without sufficient integration or development. To move to a higher level, you should ensure that every main idea is thoroughly supported with detailed explanations, well-chosen examples, and a more balanced exploration of both sides of the argument before stating your final position.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The essay displays some organization with basic paragraphing and clear transitional markers such as 'Firstly' and 'Secondly', but there is a lack of clear overall progression. The movement between ideas can feel abrupt, particularly in how the opposing view is introduced in the fourth paragraph as an isolated block rather than flowing naturally from the previous points. Furthermore, the use of cohesive devices is at times repetitive and basic, relying heavily on simple conjunctions like 'and' or 'so'. Referencing is also occasionally unclear, such as when pronouns like 'they' refer back ambiguously to multiple groups like students or cinema owners. To improve cohesion, you should work on using a wider variety of cohesive ties, ensuring that paragraphs transition smoothly into one another, and organizing your counter-argument so that it integrates seamlessly into the broader structure of the essay.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is limited but minimally adequate for the task, successfully conveying basic meaning despite noticeable errors that may occasionally cause some difficulty for the reader. You attempt some less common vocabulary items, such as 'inferiority complex' and 'cost-friendly option', but these attempts are accompanied by word choice and word form inaccuracies, such as 'they charged almost' instead of 'tickets cost' and 'everyone found it convenient' where 'finds' or 'would find' is required. There are also slight lexical awkwardness issues, such as 'trend has been changed' instead of 'the trend has changed'. To achieve a higher band, you need to expand your lexical range, pay closer attention to natural collocations and word forms, and reduce vocabulary errors so that your precise meaning is communicated without strain.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response relies on a limited range of sentence structures, with frequent errors that can cause some difficulty for the reader. While you attempt some complex sentences, your attempts are often faulty, particularly in subject-verb agreement and punctuation. Examples include pluralization errors such as 'Cinemas and theatres has strong impact', where the verb does not match the plural subject, and missing articles in phrases like 'is important role in the economy'. Additionally, there are run-on sentences and punctuation slips, such as starting a sentence with 'So, in my opinion in the digital age...' which disrupts the grammatical flow. To progress, you need to demonstrate greater control over basic grammatical rules, improve subject-verb agreement, refine your use of articles and prepositions, and build a more varied and accurate mix of simple and complex sentence forms.

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