Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-11

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)

People have grown comfortable watching movies and series in there beds. Meeting people, socializing often feels heavy and more than an opportunity to enjoy the outdoors. The former view focuses on the ease of access and considers that cinemas and theatres can be a waste of both space and resources as everything is mostly available online, and majorly free.

The argument arises from a perspective that values culture and knows economic dependencies of countries and populations. Cinemas are not only a source of bringing people, families, and friends together, but also provides an opportunity to discuss your views amongst people which is healthier than watching movies alone.

Besides that, there is a whole workforce involved in theatres and cinemas and the earnings not only help run their households but brings economic strength to the countries as well.

Consider an example of a country, who produces a low budget movie, but has amazing plot and has managed amazing videography. If the country lacks its own theatres and cinemas, the people would never know how much viewership and economic engagement they got from their own audience.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You address both views: the opening explains the convenience of online entertainment, while the next paragraphs present cinemas as places for social connection and sources of employment and national income. Your example of a country producing a low-budget film is relevant, but its point about audience reach and economic engagement is not fully explained. The response also does not state your own opinion clearly; the reader must infer that you support keeping cinemas. Overall, the discussion is partial, with ideas that are relevant but limited and under-developed. The response is 66 words below the required minimum, which leaves too little space to develop both sides and give a clear, supported conclusion. State your position directly and extend each main point with a specific explanation or example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable progression: it introduces the online-entertainment view, shifts to cultural and social benefits, then discusses employment and gives an example. Paragraph breaks help distinguish these points, and phrases such as “Besides that” signal an addition. However, the overall development is brief and the links between ideas are sometimes unclear. For example, the final example moves from a film’s quality to the country’s lack of cinemas and then to audience engagement without explaining the connection. The opening also combines several ideas without a clear transition. Use a more deliberate paragraph structure—one paragraph for each view, followed by your opinion—and make each example explicitly support its paragraph’s main claim.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of topic vocabulary, including “ease of access,” “economic dependencies,” “workforce,” and “economic engagement.” These choices show an attempt to discuss social and economic effects rather than relying only on basic terms. Some phrasing is imprecise or unnatural, however, such as “grown comfortable watching movies and series in there beds,” “Meeting people…feels heavy,” and “amazing plot.” “Majorly free” is also an awkward way to describe online content. These choices do not prevent the reader from understanding your main points, but they reduce precision and naturalness. Aim for more exact collocations, such as “watching films from the comfort of their homes,” “socialising can feel like an effort,” and “a compelling plot,” and check possessive forms such as “their.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including the clause beginning “as everything is mostly available online” and the conditional example beginning “If the country lacks its own theatres and cinemas.” Meaning is generally understandable, but some grammatical errors remain. In “Cinemas are not only a source … but also provides,” the verb does not agree with the plural subject; use “provide.” In “the earnings … help run their households but brings economic strength,” the verbs do not match in number, and the sentence needs a clearer parallel structure. “A country, who produces” also uses an unsuitable relative pronoun for a country. Review subject–verb agreement, relative clauses, and punctuation around introductory phrases. More consistently accurate complex sentences would strengthen control.

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