Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-12

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)

Though many people believe that in the modern age, theatres and cinemas are obsolete as they can watch all the movies and shows they want online, others argue that theatres and cinemas are still necessary for economy and culture. In my opinion, theatres and cinemas are really important because they not only help to create a community and bring people together but also take a part in a nations's economical growth.

In the digital era, people can watch movies and tv shows online without going to any cinema hall without the need to buy tickets or wait in the long queue. In the contrary, there is only a monthly or yearly subscription fee to watch the shows online, and in some cases, these shows come for free. For instance, netflix, amazon prime, youtube etc. has so many shows available that one can just sit in their room and binge-watch all the shows they want anytime.

However, going to a theatre or a cinema hall with frineds or family to watch the movie is another kind of fun activity as enjoying a show together with so many people, makes the watchshow quite more fun than watching it at home. Moreover, good shows or movies can earn a lot of money by selling tickets which also helps the economy. For instance, Spiderman has a huge fanbase. So whenever any Spiderman movie releases, most of the people go to the cinema halls to watch the movie, even though they can watch it at home. Because watching the movie in the hall, gives more thrill and goosebumps than watching it at home as the hall is also filled with movie-lovers like them.

Technology has brought many changes in our day-to-day lives and online movie streaming is one of them. Even though people like watching movies at home some time, theatres and cinema halls have not yet become obsolete as they still have huge audieneces.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address both views and make your own position clear: online streaming is convenient, but cinemas remain valuable for shared enjoyment and economic activity. The examples of streaming services and a Spider-Man release help illustrate these points. However, the cultural case is developed mainly as a social experience, rather than explaining broader cultural contributions such as supporting local productions or preserving shared artistic traditions. The economic point is also asserted through ticket sales without much explanation of who benefits or how this supports the economy. To strengthen the response, develop these less fully explored aspects and make the discussion of the two views more balanced and specific.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, a paragraph on online viewing, a contrasting paragraph on cinemas, and a conclusion. This gives the reader a coherent overall route through the discussion. Some links, however, are mechanical or inaccurate, including “In the contrary” and the repeated use of “Moreover” and “For instance.” The cinema paragraph also moves from social enjoyment to ticket revenue and then back to the viewing experience, so its progression could be clearer. Use more precise transitions and organise each paragraph around a central point, with explanation and an example following it. The conclusion restates the position but could briefly bring together the cultural and economic reasons.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “digital era,” “subscription fee,” “streaming,” “fanbase,” and “economy,” and the meaning is generally clear. However, several word choices and collocations are awkward or imprecise, such as “necessary for economy and culture,” “take a part in a nations's economical growth,” and “watchshow.” There are also spelling and form errors, including “frineds” and “audieneces,” while “shows” and “movies” are repeated frequently. Aim for more natural topic-specific phrasing and check spelling and word forms carefully. A wider range of terms for cultural value and economic impact would also help you express the argument more precisely.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex structures, including a contrast clause beginning “Even though” and a sentence explaining that cinemas “not only help … but also…”. The main ideas remain understandable, but some grammatical errors recur. For example, “netflix, amazon prime, youtube etc. has” has a subject–verb agreement problem, and “most of the people go” uses an unnecessary article. In “Because watching the movie in the hall, gives…,” the opening clause is incorrectly punctuated and structured. There are also errors with possessives and sentence boundaries. Review agreement, articles, possessive forms, and comma use, then proofread longer sentences to ensure each clause is complete and correctly connected.

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