Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-04

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 considerable debate over the relevance of theatres and cinemas in the modern age due to the presence of online streaming platforms, where people can watch the shows through those. Some people believe that theatres and cinemas are still wanted because of its cultural connect, While i believe that there is decreasing influence of those in the digital world.

One major point in arguing about the importance of cinemas is that the impact it had on us over the time. We grown by watching movies in theatres, so it became an integral part of our entertainment back then. Also, the feel in watching the movie is theater is very enjoyable compared to watching the same in online. For example, we used to go to theaters with people we like, that makes the moment more enjoyable than the movie itself.

On the other hand, watching the entertainment through online have some serious advantages. The flexibility that comes with online streaming is most appreciated because we can watch the movie anytime we like, amidst of the busy work schedule. In addition, the expense involved in going to theatres becomes more compared to watching the movie in online. As a result, it can be understood why people prefer online platforms.

To conclude, Cinemas and theatres are becoming less relevant considering the flexibility and economic benefit the online platforms offered by those online platforms. Therefore, I believe that cinemas and theatres are no longer have the same importance as it had on the earlier days.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion6.0
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both views on theatres and cinemas and presenting a clear personal opinion. However, some ideas are underdeveloped or lacking in specific support. For instance, the introduction of the first view outlines that theatres are wanted because of cultural connection, but this idea is not fully extended with concrete examples of cultural significance. Similarly, the argument about economic benefits in the third paragraph remains quite general. While a clear position is maintained throughout the essay, the arguments need further elaboration and more specific examples to move beyond a basic level of development.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay presents a coherent overall arrangement with a clear introduction, body paragraphs addressing distinct viewpoints, and a concluding summary. Paragraphing is used sufficiently to separate ideas. However, cohesion is sometimes faulty or mechanical. For example, transitional phrases like 'On the other hand' and 'To conclude' are used, but referencing within and between sentences is occasionally unclear, such as the dangling pronoun reference in 'offered by those online platforms' at the end of the essay. The progression of ideas can feel slightly repetitive, preventing a smoother logical flow throughout the response.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The writer uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting less common items such as 'relevance', 'streaming platforms', and 'flexibility'. However, there are noticeable word-choice and collocation errors that occasionally impede communication, such as 'cultural connect' instead of 'cultural connection', 'feel in watching the movie is theater' instead of 'feeling of watching a movie in a theatre', and 'watching the entertainment through online'. Spelling and word formation are generally functional, but these lexical inaccuracies restrict the precision of expression.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response demonstrates a limited range of structures, relying on a mix of simple and somewhat awkward complex sentence forms. There are frequent errors in grammar, including subject-verb agreement and prepositional use, such as 'where people can watch the shows through those', 'While i believe', 'We grown by watching', and 'expense involved in going to theatres becomes more compared to watching the movie in online'. Punctuation is also erratic, with mid-sentence capitalisation and comma splices. These frequent errors in grammar and mechanics cause some difficulty for the reader and reflect a restricted control over sentence patterns.

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