Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

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

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 contemporary society, some people say that theaters and cinemas are no longer needed as entertainment can be watched online. While some argue that theaters and cinemas are still important both economically and culturally.

In this digital age, it is true that the OTT platforms are trying to replace theaters and cinemas, people can watch entartainment from anywhere in the world at their convenience. But they havent succeeded in it yet.

Theaters and cinemas are still relevant and have the power to mirror the society. And I completely agree with this.

The major shift over here is the form of entertainment what OTT platforms provides, the movies and series which are streamed on OTT platforms are specifically created for small screens. The directors and producers make sure people enjoy watching their content alone without disturbance.

Whereas content produced for theaters and cinemas is directed in a completely different manner, the visual effects, lights, camera angles are precisely well crafted so that the actors look larger than life on 70 mm screen.

Same is with theaters, artists who perform live use various techniques to get the attention of audience even if they are sitting in the last row, which make these platforms different from what we see online and the grandeour they have wont be replaced ever in coming world.

The cost of theater and cinema experience might increase but it would definetly hold their significance and relevance no matter how digital era comes. But the value what live performances and larger than life cinema holds wont change.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You give a clear opinion that theatres and cinemas remain significant, and you explain this with relevant contrasts between online content, large-screen films and live performance. However, the discussion is unbalanced: the advantages of online entertainment are mentioned mainly as convenience, while its economic or cultural case is not developed. The economic importance of theatres and cinemas, explicitly raised in the prompt, is also not addressed, and several claims—such as their significance never changing—need supporting examples. The response is 248 words, so it falls two words short of the 250-word minimum; the nine words copied from the prompt are excluded. Develop both views more fully and support your position with specific examples.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a recognisable structure, moving from the issue and your position to comparisons between online content, cinema and live theatre. Linking expressions such as “Whereas” and “Same is with theaters” help signal contrasts. However, the progression is not consistently clear: the opening repeats the task’s opposing views, and the paragraph beginning “The major shift over here” combines several points without a clear topic sentence or development. Some connections are abrupt, particularly the move from OTT content to live performance. Use distinct paragraphs for the two views and your opinion, and make each paragraph develop one main idea. More precise referencing and transitions would make the argument easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of topic-related vocabulary, including “OTT platforms,” “visual effects,” “camera angles,” “live performances” and “larger than life.” These terms help communicate the distinction between online viewing and shared or live experiences. There are also attempts at less common phrasing, but some choices are inaccurate or awkward, such as “the form of entertainment what OTT platforms provides” and “the grandeour they have.” Spelling errors including “entartainment,” “definetly” and “wont” reduce accuracy, while repeated use of “important,” “relevant” and “significance” limits variety. Aim for more natural collocations and check spelling carefully; precise vocabulary will strengthen otherwise understandable ideas.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a contrast introduced by “While” and a longer sentence describing how films are made for cinema. Meaning is generally recoverable, but some sentence structures and grammatical patterns are inaccurate. For example, “While some argue that theatres and cinemas are still important…” is a dependent clause presented as a complete sentence, and “people can watch entertainment…, people can…” creates a comma splice. In “what OTT platforms provides,” the clause structure and subject–verb agreement are faulty; “which make these platforms different” also has agreement problems. Review complete-sentence construction, agreement and punctuation, and divide long sentences where needed. Greater control of these patterns would make your varied structures clearer.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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