Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-03

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)

With the start of the modern technological era, there is an ongoing debate about the requirement of theatres and cinema. Some people argue that they are no longer needed as most of the content is available online while others believe that it is necessary for both cultural and economic development. In my view, although all the movies and shows are available online, the comfort and experience a theatre and cinemas provide is unbeatable.

One of the major advantage is that the subscription to all the OTT applications prove to cost effective and can be enjoyed from the comfort of our homes. In the past, advance planning and setting aside some funds was required to go and watch a movie along with friends and family. Nowadays, however, various telecom companies provide a package of numerous entertainment apps along with mobile recharges saving a large sum of money and time with no compromise on the benefits. For instance, a cinephile instead of spending loads every weak, enjoys all the movies and web shows reducing his overall expenditure. Consequently, viewers find gratification in staying at home after a long and tiring day and not have to worry about unnecessary expenditure on food and tickets.

On the other hand, theaters and cinemas and essential for both the economy and culture. Artists working hard to direct and choreograph plays end up with no viewership. Theaters provide a glimpse into a new world without editing giving a break from excessive screen time while appreciating the raw talent and generating jobs for countless from actors to hospitality staff. Whereas cinema halls can provide a better experience to celebrate and have fun with friends and family without worrying about arrangements and clean up. This can be understood by an example of a couple's anniversary. Instead of planning and decorating the house, they can head out to watch a beautiful play while actually spending time and being there for each other. This not only allows us to appreciate our loved ones but also the hard work put in by the team for people to get insights about different cultures in an engaging manner alongside providing an immersive experience.

In conclusion, I believe the digital age has transformed how we access media, theaters and cinema are equally important. They remain essential for economies offering a unique cultural experience.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

Your response addresses all parts of the task, presenting both sides of the argument alongside your own clear position in the introduction and conclusion. You manage to touch upon economic and cultural aspects, successfully fulfilling the core requirements. However, while your stance is evident, some of your ideas are under-developed compared to others. For instance, your discussion regarding the economic and cultural importance of theatres on the second body paragraph touches on important points like job creation and raw talent, but remains somewhat generalized rather than fully extended with deeper analysis. To reach the next level, you need to ensure that every main idea is supported with thorough explanation and fully fleshed-out examples rather than shifting quickly between thoughts.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

Your essay demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement with a clear progression of ideas from the introduction to the body paragraphs and the conclusion. You use paragraphing sufficiently and logically separate your thoughts, dedicating paragraphs to online entertainment benefits versus traditional venues. However, cohesion can sometimes feel mechanical or slightly faulty. For example, transition phrases like 'One of the major advantage' and 'On the other hand' are used, but referencing within sentences can occasionally be unclear, such as pronoun usage referring back to previous nouns. To achieve a higher band, you should aim for smoother, more seamless transitions between sentences and paragraphs without relying on formulaic cohesive devices, ensuring the logical relationship between your ideas is always transparent.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task and successfully attempt less-common items such as 'cinephile', 'gratification', and 'immersive experience'. You clearly convey your message, and your vocabulary is generally appropriate for an academic discussion. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation that hold your writing back. For example, writing 'prove to cost effective' instead of 'prove to be cost-effective', or 'spending loads every weak' containing a spelling error ('week'). Additionally, phrasing like 'countless from actors to hospitality staff' is slightly unnatural. To improve your lexical score, focus on precise word choices, correct collocations, and rigorous proofreading to eliminate minor spelling slips while continuing to use ambitious vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You display a mix of simple and complex sentence forms throughout the essay, demonstrating an ability to construct compound and complex sentences such as conditional or participial clauses like 'Instead of planning and decorating the house, they can head out...'. However, there are some noticeable errors in grammar and punctuation. For instance, subject-verb agreement issues appear in phrases like 'One of the major advantage is', which should be plural ('advantages'). You also miss necessary words in places, such as 'not have to worry' following a modal verb incorrectly, and missing a verb in the final conclusion sentence ('theaters and cinema are equally important' needs a conjunction or prepositional link). These errors rarely impede communication, but to reach a higher band, you must increase your proportion of error-free sentences and maintain strict control over complex grammatical structures.

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