Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · 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 4.5)

Although, this is a digital age but theatres and cinemas are still very important both economically and culturally. Previously, there was a trend of cinemas and theatres. People use to go there with their freinds and families to spend some valueable time there and having fun with each other. It was the time when there was no internet, modan mobile phones, iphones, ipads available at home but with the passage of time technology developed, modran devices like mobile phones, computers, laptops got common. People can easily watch any drama, any movie, news, any informative vedio, and anything which the want. They have modes of watching all these stuff but these means of intertainmant can not replace the charm of theatres and cinemas.

Theatres

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

The response falls well short of the minimum word count requirement of two hundred and fifty words, stopping abruptly at only one hundred and twenty-three words. Because of this severe under-length, the task is addressed only minimally. While the writer attempts to introduce the topic and express a basic view that cinemas and theatres remain important despite the digital age, the discussion is heavily truncated. The prompt requires candidates to discuss both views and give their own opinion, but the response cuts off before developing either the opposing view or the writer's stance with adequate reasons and examples. To reach a higher level, the writer must ensure the full word count is met and provide fully developed paragraphs addressing every part of the prompt.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0

The text demonstrates some basic organisation, opening with an introductory framing of the topic and attempting to contrast past viewing habits with modern digital options. However, there is no clear overall progression due to the extremely limited length of the essay, which trails off mid-sentence with 'Theatres'. Cohesive devices are basic and repetitive, such as the frequent use of 'and' and 'but', alongside mechanical referencing like 'It was the time when' and 'with the passage of time'. Paragraphing is not properly managed, as the text breaks off prematurely instead of forming a complete structural essay. To improve cohesion, the writer needs to group related ideas into logical paragraphs and use a wider, more natural variety of transitional phrases to connect arguments smoothly.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is limited and minimally adequate for the task. The writer relies on basic, repetitive words such as 'entertainment', 'movies', 'important', and 'digital age'. There are also noticeable spelling and word choice errors throughout the text, including 'freinds', 'valueable', 'modan', 'modran', 'vedio', and 'intertainmant'. These errors reflect a lack of control over standard lexical forms, though they generally do not prevent the reader from grasping the basic meaning. Furthermore, collocation is weak, seen in phrases like 'spend some valueable time there and having fun'. To achieve a higher score, the writer must expand their vocabulary range, incorporate less common lexical items with greater precision, and eliminate basic spelling mistakes.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The grammatical range is restricted, relying mostly on simple sentences joined by coordinating conjunctions. The writer attempts some complex structures, but these contain frequent errors, such as the faulty initial clause 'Although, this is a digital age but theatres...' which improperly pairs a subordinating conjunction with a coordinating one. There are additional errors in verb forms, such as 'People use to go' instead of 'used to go', and misuse of plurals and articles, including 'all these stuff' where 'stuff' is uncountable. Punctuation is also problematic, marked by missing or misplaced commas that hinder readability. To improve, the writer needs to demonstrate a wider variety of complex sentence forms with accurate punctuation and consistent control over verb tenses and agreement.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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