Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

In the digital age, some people believe that theatres and cinemas are no longer important because people can watch entertainment online. Others argue that they are still important both economically and culturally. Although both views have their own merits, I personally believe that theatres and cinemas remain important in modern society.

On the one hand, there are several reasons why some people consider theatres and cinemas less important nowadays. The primary reason is that online platforms provide convenient access to entertainment. This is because people can watch films and shows from the comfort of their homes. For example, platforms such as Netflix and YouTube offer a wide range of content at any time. As a result, people can save both time and money by avoiding travelling to cinemas. Furthermore, online entertainment provides greater flexibility, which makes it attractive to many people.

On the other hand, those who support theatres and cinemas argue that they provide significant economic and cultural benefits. This is mainly because these places create employment opportunities for actors, technicians and other workers. For instance, cinemas employ people directly and also support businesses such as restaurants and transport services. Therefore, they can contribute considerably to the economy. Moreover, theatres and cinemas provide a shared cultural experience. This means that people can enjoy films, plays and performances together, which is difficult to experience at home.

From my perspective, I believe that theatres and cinemas are still important despite the growth of online entertainment. The main reason is that they offer unique social and cultural experiences. For example, watching a film with a large audience can create a stronger sense of community. This clearly shows that traditional entertainment venues still have a valuable role in society.

In conclusion, although online entertainment has reduced the need for theatres and cinemas, these places still provide important economic and cultural benefits. I believe they will remain relevant because of their unique social experience and cultural contribution.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response successfully addresses all parts of the task by discussing both views—the decline of theatres due to online media and their enduring economic and cultural importance—while maintaining a clear personal position throughout. The introduction outlines both sides and clearly states the writer's view. Body paragraphs present relevant ideas, such as convenience and cost-savings for online platforms versus job creation and shared cultural experiences for cinemas. However, some ideas remain slightly under-developed rather than fully extended, which is characteristic of the half-band achievement level. For instance, the economic benefits are mentioned through job creation and local businesses, but this point could have been supported with a more specific example rather than a general statement. To reach the next higher band, the writer needs to ensure that every main argument is deeply explored with fully articulated extensions and robust, specific supporting examples.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The essay displays a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Each paragraph has a distinct focus, beginning with a well-defined introduction, followed by balanced body paragraphs addressing the opposing views and the writer's perspective, and concluding with a concise summary. The writer uses a good variety of cohesive devices flexibly, such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', 'Furthermore', and 'Moreover', which successfully guide the reader through the arguments. Paragraphing is used appropriately and effectively to separate different trains of thought. Although referencing is generally clear, occasional cohesive transitions feel slightly formulaic rather than entirely natural. To achieve an even higher band, the writer could make transitions between sentences and paragraphs even more seamless, ensuring that relationships between ideas are signaled with subtle sophistication rather than standard signposting phrases.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, providing sufficient range to discuss the topic with some precision. The writer demonstrates an ability to use appropriate topic-specific terminology such as 'online platforms', 'employment opportunities', 'cultural experience', and 'traditional entertainment venues'. There are also successful attempts to incorporate less common items, such as 'significant economic and cultural benefits' and 'unique social experience'. However, the range of vocabulary remains somewhat standard and repetitive in places (for example, reusing words like 'important' and 'entertainment' frequently), and there is a lack of sophisticated or idiomatic phrasing. Spelling and word choice are generally accurate and do not impede communication. To move to a higher band, the writer should incorporate a wider variety of less common lexical items, precise collocations, and varied synonyms to demonstrate greater stylistic flexibility.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.0

The response demonstrates a good mix of simple and complex sentence forms, featuring frequent error-free sentences. The writer shows good control over grammar and punctuation, successfully handling complex structures such as concessive clauses ('Although both views have their own merits, I personally believe...') and relative clauses ('...which is difficult to experience at home'). Verb forms, tenses, subject-verb agreement, and articles are handled accurately throughout the text, and punctuation is used correctly to demarcate clauses. While the grammar is generally reliable and rarely impedes communication, the structural variety leans towards standard complex patterns rather than a truly wide and flexible range of advanced syntactic structures. To attain a higher band, the writer needs to consistently integrate a wider repertoire of sophisticated grammatical structures, such as inversion, participle clauses, and more varied subordination, while maintaining this high level of accuracy.

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