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)

A number of people argue that with the introduction of online entertainment services, cinema, theatres are no longer relevant, while other audiences still believe that cinemas and theatres play a vital role in the economic and cultural sector. Although streaming platforms are cost-effective but cinemas and theatres provide an irreplaceable and immersive experience. This essay will examine both the perspectives before explaining why I believe physical venues continue to play an essential role.

undoubtedly, streaming platforms provides undeniable convenience and financial benefits, A single subsciption to an online series or movies can give you vast exposure to all the trending libraries across various genres eliminating the need to purchase individual tickets. It provides an unlimited access to ongoing network of webseries and solve the issue of time constraints. people can easily watch their favourite show or series in their free time. for example, during COVID-19, OTT Platforms like 'Netflix' and youtube successfully entertained all

the people with emerging content in their comfort place saving the cost of their cinema ticket, haulage cost, etc. streaming platforms ensures to give satisfaction to their views with proper affordability while sitting at their homes only.

on the other hand, cinemas and theatres are an irreplable physical venues which provide an immersive experience with best audio quality, big screen and social exposure. joy while watching movie that online streaming platforms can never fetch while sitting at the home. moreover, cinemas and theatres contribute to economy by providing employment to workers like cashier, food corners, etc. and preserves art and talent of the actors by depicting them on the big screens. However, the cinemas and theatres provide the actual effects of movie in 3DK, 4DK imaging. conversely, the streaming platforms can never match the 3DK imaging style of theatres with high quality sound effects.

Therefore, the online streaming platforms have its own significance to affordability and comfort whereas the real experience through big screens in cinemas and theatres is irreplacable.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the task, discussing both the decline of physical venues due to online alternatives and their enduring economic and cultural importance, while also clearly stating the writer's own position. However, some ideas are more fully developed than others. For instance, the economic contribution of cinemas is touched upon briefly with mentions of employment, but the explanation remains somewhat generalized without deeper extension. Similarly, the points regarding streaming platforms are slightly repetitive, mentioning convenience and cost multiple times without expanding into newer dimensions. To reach a higher level, all main ideas would need to be thoroughly extended and supported with fully realized arguments and more specific, elaborated examples.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The essay presents a coherent overall arrangement with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion, ensuring that the main argument is generally easy to follow. Paragraphing is utilized to separate the opposing views and the writer's stance. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical or faulty. Transitions like 'undoubtedly', 'on the other hand', and 'conversely' are used, but referencing and logical progression within paragraphs show occasional strain, such as abrupt shifts between sentences in the second body paragraph. Additionally, some cohesive devices are overused or lack smooth integration, which prevents the essay from achieving a seamless flow. Clearer referencing of ideas and more natural transitional phrasing would enhance the overall cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The writer demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating topic-related terms such as 'streaming platforms', 'immersive experience', and 'cultural sector'. There are also several attempts to use less common vocabulary, such as 'cost-effective', 'irreplaceable', and 'financial benefits'. However, noticeable spelling and word-choice errors occur throughout the text, including 'subsciption' instead of subscription, 'irreplable' instead of irreplaceable, and the awkward phrasing 'haulage cost' when discussing travel or transit expenses. While these lexical inaccuracies and spelling slips do not severely impede communication, they restrict the score because they reveal a lack of precise control over less common lexical items and collocations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, attempting structures such as concessive clauses ('Although streaming platforms are cost-effective but cinemas...') and participial phrases. However, there are frequent errors in grammar, punctuation, and mechanics that catch the reader's attention. Examples include capitalization issues at the start of sentences ('undoubtedly', 'on the other hand'), punctuation faults such as comma splices ('...financial benefits, A single subsciption...'), and article omissions or noun-verb agreement issues like 'streaming platforms provides' and 'peoples can easily watch'. Complex structures are often faulty, and the presence of these errors means the writing sits squarely in the range where non-impeding mistakes are common, though they require careful control to prevent misinterpretation.

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