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)

It is often argued by some individuals that in the digital era, theatres and cinemas are no longer important as people can watch all the entertainment online, while others argue that both are still an important part for economy and culture.

To begin with, in the modern era we're living in and with the advancement of technology and the digital transformation, everything around us envolves around internet, which made the world like a small village. In what we can call the digital era, we can do numerous things with just a click online, we can order and buy products, we can also watch whatever the movie or series we want through the internet online, despite that, some people still like going to theatres and cinemas for many reasons, for instance, some find joy in going to a cinema or a theatre, some like going there to spend time with friends, some go for the sake of memories.

However, some people say that cinemas and theatres are crucial for both economy and culture which i agree with, a culture gets its powers from its art in cinemas and theatres, there's a huge revenue from tickets sales of these industries. Analysts conducted a research in the UK and found out that 90% of cinemas and theatres are full when a new movie or a play gets released. I personally went to a cinema to watch the latest Spider-man movie with my friends, so calling to end cinemas and theatres can lead to the fall of a big industry making a lot of individuals lose their jobs.

In conclusion, in the digital age, we should be thankful for having the option of watching online or going to a cinema, everyone can do what he wishes.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both views and make your own position clear when you say you agree that cinemas and theatres matter to the economy and culture. The points about social enjoyment, ticket revenue and employment are relevant, and your Spider-Man visit gives a personal example. However, the first view is mainly described as the convenience of online viewing, without explaining why this might make venues less important or giving a developed example. The cultural and economic claims are also asserted rather than fully explained; for instance, the statistic about venues being full is not connected clearly to the wider argument. Develop each side with specific reasoning and show more explicitly how your examples support your opinion.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, a paragraph beginning “To begin with,” a contrasting paragraph, and a conclusion. “However” signals a shift to the second view, so the reader can follow the broad direction. However, the first body paragraph combines online convenience with reasons people still attend venues, making the discussion of the two views less clearly organised. Several ideas are joined in long, comma-linked sentences, and the conclusion repeats the choice between online viewing and going out rather than drawing together the main arguments. Give each view a more distinct paragraph, use clearer sentence boundaries, and make links between claims and examples explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use vocabulary relevant to the topic, including “digital era,” “advancement of technology,” “revenue,” “culture,” and “industry.” These choices allow you to discuss both online entertainment and the wider value of venues. However, the range is limited by repeated general words such as “people,” “things,” and “important,” and some combinations are unnatural or imprecise, including “a culture gets its powers from its art” and “90% of cinemas and theatres are full.” There are also spelling and word-form slips, such as “envolves.” Aim for more precise terms for cultural influence, audience attendance and economic contribution, and check spelling and collocations during revision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a mixture of simple and complex forms, including a contrast introduced by “while” and a conditional idea in “calling to end cinemas and theatres can lead to the fall of a big industry.” However, complex sentences are often poorly controlled, and comma splices make some relationships difficult to read, particularly in the long sentence beginning “In the modern era.” There are also errors in agreement, articles and sentence construction: “everything … envolves” should use a singular verb, while “a culture gets its powers” is awkwardly formed. Capitalisation and punctuation are inconsistent, as in lowercase “i” and the run-on final sentence. Practise separating clauses and checking each sentence for a clear subject and verb.

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