Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-05

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 6.0)

In this era of rapidly advancing technology, online technology like smartphones and the internet have taken the place of theatres and cinemas. While some people argue that these traditional entertainment places hold much cultural and economical significance, I believe that they aren't as valuable anymore, as entertainment and movies can easily be accessed online.

On the one hand, it is argued that theatres and cinemas are responsible for sustaining the livelihood of many people and also for providing meaningful experiences. For example, cinemas and theatres employ actors, makeup artists, costume designers and various other people. If the popularity of theatres was to go down, the workers employed would experience difficulty making a living for themselves, especially in countries where jobs in entertainment sectors are seen as unworthy.Another reason why people support this view is the acquired experience. Watching a movie in-person gives an insight into other people's thoughts, which can help broaden ideas and think outside the box. This simply isn't possible from home where other people's reaction can't be seen.

On the other hand, there are a variety of reasons why people believe watching movies, films and shows online is better. The primary reason being the cost. In cinemas, one has to buy individual tickets for each movie in comparison to buying a platfrom's monthly-subscription that allows you to access however many movies or shows you want. For example, platforms like Netflix offer a variety of entertainment options ranging from kids shows to movies from different genres like horror, romance and so on. To most people, this seems to be the more economical option, especially those who watch a great number of movies every month. Furthermore, watching movies from home substantially cuts down on commuting costs, as one doesn't have to travel to and from cinema, which is another brownie point for people who live in areas that are far away from cinemas.

In conclusion, while cinemas and theatres are important as they provide meaningful experiences and sustain livelihoods, I firmly believe that online entertainment is the better option as it can accessed from the comfort of your own home and saves cost on travelling and individual tickets.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both views—the cultural and economic importance of traditional venues versus the convenience and economy of online platforms—and clearly states a personal position in the introduction and conclusion. However, the development of ideas is uneven. While the economic argument regarding cinema workers is clearly explained, the cultural point about gaining insight into other people's thoughts is somewhat underdeveloped and lacks specific examples. Similarly, the counterargument concerning online streaming is supported with clear examples like Netflix and commuting savings, showing a tendency to develop this side more fully. To reach a higher level, every main idea needs to be equally extended with relevant, well-elaborated examples.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay presents a coherent overall arrangement with a clear, logical progression of ideas from the introduction through the body paragraphs to the conclusion. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, separating the two opposing views into distinct sections. Cohesive devices are used to signal shifts between paragraphs, such as 'On the one hand' and 'On the other hand'. However, cohesion is at times a bit mechanical, and referencing occasionally lacks precision, such as the pronoun 'this' in phrases like 'This simply isn't possible', which slightly blurs the exact antecedent. Moving towards a higher band would require smoother, more natural transitions between sentences and more sophisticated referencing throughout the text.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The writer demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms such as 'livelihood', 'economical option', and 'monthly-subscription'. There are also successful attempts to use less common vocabulary items like 'sustain', 'substantially', and 'brownie point', though some collocations and word choices are slightly informal or imprecise, such as 'brownie point' in an academic essay. Spelling and word choice errors are minimal and do not impede communication, with words like 'platforms' and 'accessible' spelled correctly despite a minor typo like 'platfrom's'. To achieve a higher band score, the vocabulary range should be wider and more consistently appropriate in academic style, with fewer informal idioms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and conditional structures such as 'If the popularity of theatres was to go down, the workers employed would experience difficulty...' There are some grammatical and punctuation errors present, such as a missing space and capital letter in 'unworthy.Another reason', a missing auxiliary verb in 'it can accessed', and minor article or preposition slips. However, these errors are relatively infrequent and rarely impede communication, allowing the reader to follow the arguments easily. The presence of these controlled complex structures alongside occasional errors firmly places this aspect of the writing within the expected band level.

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