Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

Digital media is increasing day by day, because of the technology many people can watch entertainment online in social media apps, Nevertheless, some people believe that in the digital age theatres and cinemas are no longer important because they can watch online, but some argue that, theaters and cinemas are still important, I strongly agree, due to digital age people can watch everything online.

Firstly, in the age of digital media, people wants to save their time. For example, individuals can watch everything online, because it can save their time, Therefore, many social media apps like, Instagram,

Youtube, and Netflix, people can watch any movies or series rather than go on cinema or theaters respectively, In this modern technology people use it for their benefits and do the smart work, it also save their money of the transport and watching movies in their homes are also not costly.

Secondly, some people argue that, theaters and cinemas are still important . For example, some people believe that, it is important because in past there were theaters and cinemas people gathered and watched movies together which bring them closer, and in some aspects, it promotes the cultural values, and still nowadays some people go into the cinema watching movies with friends and families are really impressive thing specially in this modern world. Approximately, many people still go and watch movies in cinemas in this digital age.

In conclusion, modern technology is very useful for the watching movies and also in many other fields, people wants to save their time, and prefer to watch it online in their homes, that save their time and also money, but some respect their traditional values, they prefer cinemas and theaters in this modern world.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing both views regarding the importance of theatres and cinemas versus online entertainment, and a position is stated, though it is somewhat confused in the introduction where the writer states "due to digital age people can watch everything online" while intending to agree with the opposing cultural and economic view. Ideas are limited and tend to be repetitive rather than fully extended. For instance, the argument about saving time and money is brought up repeatedly in the first and final paragraphs without significant new development or specific examples beyond listing apps like Instagram, YouTube, and Netflix. To move higher, the response would need to present a clearer, more consistent position throughout and extend the main ideas with more specific, well-supported arguments rather than cycling through the same points.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The essay displays some basic organization with paragraph breaks used to separate the introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. However, there is a lack of clear overall progression, as ideas tend to loop back on themselves rather than move forward logically. Cohesive devices are frequently inaccurate, repetitive, or mechanical. For example, transition phrases like "Firstly" and "Secondly" are used to start the body paragraphs, but internal linking relies heavily on repetitive conjunctions and punctuation errors, such as comma splices, rather than smooth transitions. Referencing is also occasionally unclear, making it hard to follow the exact logical thread of the arguments. To achieve a higher score, the writer needs to ensure a smoother, logical progression of ideas from sentence to sentence and paragraph to paragraph, while using a wider and more accurate variety of cohesive devices.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is limited but minimally adequate to convey the basic topic of digital media versus cinemas. The writer attempts some less common vocabulary items, such as "transport" and "cultural values," but struggles with word choice, collocation, and word formation. For example, phrases like "go on cinema" instead of "go to the cinema" and "for the watching movies" demonstrate noticeable errors in lexical patterns. While the spelling of common words is mostly acceptable, these lexical inaccuracies cause some difficulty for the reader and restrict the range of expression. To improve, the writer should focus on expanding their vocabulary range, learning correct collocations for everyday topics, and ensuring that word forms match the grammatical context of the sentence.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response demonstrates a very limited range of sentence structures, relying mostly on simple sentences or attempts at complex structures that are frequently faulty. There are frequent grammatical errors in verb forms, tense consistency, and punctuation throughout the text. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues such as "people wants to save their time" and run-on sentences punctuated improperly with commas rather than full stops, as seen in the sentence starting with "Therefore, many social media apps...". These frequent errors can cause difficulty for the reader and interrupt the flow of reading. To reach the next level, the writer must incorporate a wider variety of complex sentence forms with better control, reduce basic grammatical errors, and pay closer attention to punctuation rules like avoiding comma splices.

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.