Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

There is a considerable debate on theatres and cinemas which some people think are no longer importan in this digital age. On the other hand, others argue on the importance of theatres and cinemas for both our economy and culture.

In this modern era, people now don't need to depend on theatres and cinema for their recreation because with advanced technology, they can watch all the contents online. In the past, the technology was not so advanced. Also, there were absolutely no or less exposure to TV, computer or internet. As a result the only way to spend the leisure was to watch a movie in cinema hall or enjoy theatres. But now the picture is completely different. Nowadays, there is internet everywhere and we can watch anything we want with the help of internet online. The plays that we watched in theatres or the movies that we watched in cinemas can be played on our phone now because of internet access.So, now the theatres and cinemas are on the verge of disappearance because people no longer want them. Also with advanced technology we can also make our own cinema hall at home.

On the other hand, people also believe that theatres and cinemas play integral roles in our life. Some people enjoy watching movies in cinema hall rather then on their phone or TV screen as the cinema hall provides us with a big screen and a very nice environment. Plays that are played in theatres also seems more natural than any online content. It is also a part of a culture of a country. For the access of theatres and cinemas, people need to buy tickets. In this way they are also contributing to the economy.

In my opinion both view are correct in their way of thinking. As we are in a digital age, we do not have to carry the hassle of going to cinemas or theatres, we can see anything we want online. But to give importance to a country's culture and economy, cinemas and theatres are very essential.

In conclusion, cinemas amd theatres from the very beginning are playing a significant role in our life for our recreation, culture and economy which can not be denied. But with advancing age, so much dependency on them can be reduced as we can see the whole world by lying in our bed with the help of modern technologies.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both views—that digital platforms have replaced physical venues, and that cinemas and theatres remain culturally and economically important—while also presenting a personal opinion. However, some ideas are underdeveloped and lack sufficient supporting evidence. For instance, the discussion on economic and cultural contributions is quite brief, stating simply that people need to buy tickets and that plays seem natural, without elaborating on how this impacts local businesses or preserves heritage. While a clear position is established, the arguments tend to rely on repetitive assertions rather than extended, fully realised points.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a logical division into paragraphs, separating the introduction, the two body views, the personal opinion, and the conclusion. However, cohesion is at times mechanical or faulty. The writer relies heavily on basic cohesive markers such as 'On the other hand', 'Also', and 'In this way', which can feel repetitive. Furthermore, referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the phrase 'For the access of theatres and cinemas', where logical connections between sentences within the third paragraph are slightly disjointed, preventing a completely smooth progression of ideas.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for communicating the central ideas, but the range is limited. The writer attempts some less common vocabulary, such as 'recreation', 'verge of disappearance', and 'integral roles', but these attempts are sometimes accompanied by noticeable errors in word choice, collocation, and spelling, such as writing 'importan' instead of 'important'. Other lexical inaccuracies include 'the access of theatres' instead of 'accessing theatres' or 'attending theatres'. These lexical slips and repetitive use of basic terms like 'advanced technology' and 'internet' constrain the precision and flexibility of the writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The text features a limited range of sentence structures, relying heavily on straightforward simple and compound sentences alongside some basic complex forms. Attempts at complex sentences are frequently faulty, leading to grammatical errors in verb forms, articles, prepositions, and plurals. Examples include 'there were absolutely no or less exposure', 'any online content' used with plural verbs later, and 'both view are correct'. Frequent errors in punctuation and grammatical patterns appear throughout the text, which occasionally cause slight difficulty for the reader, though the overall meaning remains generally recoverable.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.