Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-07

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)

In recent years, social media has enabled us to access Internet everywhere and anywhere. During the pandemic in 2020, when entire globe went under lockdown, nobody was able to go to the theatres to watch movies which led to the innovation of watching movies online and people were able to stream their favourite movies from their home without going anywhere.

One of the key factors is that in the digital age, streaming platforms like Netflix, Prime video allows people to not only watch the upcoming movies but also provides a range of old movies. It also allows people to rewatch a movie they want whether it is still ongoing in the theatres or not.

Another attributing factor is accessibility. As discussed before, we can access internet from anywhere, this helps us to stream movies regardless of the place and time. For example, one can watch a horror movie at two in the morning from their home or when they are travelling like in a metro or a train.

Other major factor includes the financial state of both; the people and the directors. By subscribing for a month, one can have access to more than 1000 films which as compared to cinemas is a cheaper option. From a director's point; a small emerging director doesn't have sufficient funds to release movie in theatres as it requires a lot of advertising and marketing budget whereas online films don't require a much higher budget for advertising.

Although, the argument about the theatres and cinemas are still important economically and culturally prevails as watching movies in big theatres is very dfferent from watching them at home.

In my perspective, I agree that digital entertainment is now taking over the theatres and theatres and cinemas have lost their charm.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You present a clear preference for online entertainment in the final paragraph and give relevant reasons, including convenience, choice and lower costs. However, the task asks you to discuss both views, and the case for theatres and cinemas is only briefly acknowledged: “watching movies in big theatres is very different from watching them at home” does not explain their cultural or economic importance. The point about directors’ budgets also focuses on online releases rather than developing the opposing view. Your position is therefore not fully supported across the task, and some ideas remain general. To strengthen the response, explain what shared cinema experiences contribute culturally and how theatres support jobs, local businesses or film production, then compare these benefits with online access.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a recognisable paragraph structure, moving from the pandemic context to advantages of streaming, a brief concession and your opinion. Examples such as watching a film while travelling help illustrate accessibility. However, the overall progression is limited because most of the body develops the same side, while the opposing view receives only one short paragraph. Some linking phrases are repetitive or awkward, including “Another attributing factor” and “As discussed before,” and the final opinion is not connected to a developed comparison. Organise the main body around the two views, with a separate paragraph for each, and use clear references and transitions to show how the points relate. This would make the argument easier to follow rather than a sequence of separate advantages.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of topic vocabulary, including “streaming platforms,” “accessibility,” “subscribing,” and “advertising and marketing budget.” These terms make the subject clear, and phrases such as “emerging director” show an attempt to use more specific language. However, several choices are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “social media” for online access to entertainment, “another attributing factor,” and “from a director’s point.” There are also spelling and form slips, including “dfferent” and “Prime video.” These do not prevent understanding, but they limit precision and naturalness. Aim for accurate collocations and distinguish clearly between social media, internet access and streaming services; proofread spelling and capitalisation.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of simple and complex sentences, including a time clause beginning “During the pandemic in 2020” and a relative clause in “a movie they want.” Meaning is generally understandable, but errors recur in sentence construction, agreement and articles. For example, “streaming platforms like Netflix, Prime video allows” has a plural subject with a singular verb, while “theatres and cinemas are still important … prevails” has an unclear subject–verb relationship. The opening sentence also has an awkward construction, and “a small emerging director doesn’t have sufficient funds to release movie” is missing an article. Review agreement, articles and sentence boundaries, and simplify sentences when needed so that complex ideas remain controlled.

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