Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-09

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)

Nowdays people can watch movies and other entertainment online. some people believe that theaters and no longer important, while others think they are still important for the economy and culture. in my opinion, both online entertainment and chemas have their own advantages but cinemas are still important.

on the one hand, online entertainment has become very popular because it is conenient and affordable. people can watch movies, tv shows and videos at home using their mobile phone, laptops or televisions. they do not need to travel or spend money on expensive tickets. moreover, online platforms provide a wide variety of content, so people to enjoy entertainment form the comfort of their homes. therefore, many people prefer watching movies online.

on the other hand, theatres and cinemas are still important for economic and cultural reasons.firstly, they also help local businesses, including restaurants ans shops. secondly, watching a movie in a cinema is a special experience because of the large scree, high quality sound and comfortable environment. people can alo spent qulity time with thir friends and faimly . furthermore, cinemas help promote local films and cultural traditiond.

In my opinion, cinemas should not disaper

AI examiner evaluation

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

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You address both sides of the discussion and state a clear preference for cinemas, with relevant points about online convenience and affordability, cinema-related businesses, the viewing experience, and cultural traditions. However, the response is incomplete: the final sentence, “In my opinion, cinemas should not disaper,” does not develop your conclusion or explain your position fully. Several ideas are also asserted rather than supported—for example, the economic contribution to local businesses is not illustrated with an example. The response is 193 words, below the required 250, which limits how fully you can explain and support the views. Develop each main point with a reason or example, and finish with a complete conclusion that directly answers the question.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a generally clear overall arrangement: an introduction, a paragraph presenting the online-entertainment view, a paragraph supporting cinemas, and an attempted conclusion. The signposts “on the one hand,” “on the other hand,” and “In my opinion” help readers follow the discussion. Within paragraphs, ideas are mostly presented in a sensible order, such as convenience followed by affordability and variety. However, the final sentence is incomplete, so the ending feels abrupt and the overall progression is not fully resolved. Some linking is mechanical, particularly the repeated “firstly” and “secondly,” and the relationship between the economic and cultural points could be made clearer. Use transitions that show how each example supports your argument, and complete the conclusion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including “online platforms,” “expensive tickets,” “local businesses,” “large screen,” and “cultural traditions.” This shows some ability to discuss entertainment and its economic and cultural roles. However, the range is limited and several spelling errors or inaccurate word choices distract the reader, including “Nowdays,” “conenient,” “chemas,” and “disaper.” Some phrases are also imprecise, such as “people to enjoy entertainment form the comfort of their homes.” Aim to check spelling carefully and choose more precise collocations, for example, “a wide range of content” and “spend quality time.” Adding vocabulary for the economic and cultural effects would also help you express ideas more precisely.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use mostly straightforward sentence patterns, with some attempts to connect ideas through clauses, as in “because it is conenient and affordable” and “because of the large scree…” The main meaning is generally understandable, but grammatical control is uneven. Examples include missing or incorrect verb forms in “people to enjoy” and “people can alo spent,” and the incomplete final sentence, “In my opinion, cinemas should not disaper.” Capitalisation and sentence punctuation are also inconsistent: several sentences begin with lowercase letters, and there is no clear punctuation separating “reasons.firstly.” Work on complete sentence structure, modal verb patterns such as “can spend,” and consistent capital letters and full stops. More accurate control of these basics would make your ideas easier to follow.

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.