Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-20

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)

Many people have varying takes on the importance of theatre and cinema. While some believe it is not valuable because they can stream online. Others argues that it offers several benefits. I believe that theatre and cinema is generally beneficial because it generates money for the government and individuals get to meet new people.

Theatre and cinema allows the government to make money. This is because when people go to watch movies, the money that is been generated from ticket sales is been taxed. The more people watch film at the filmhouse, the more the government makes more money. Also, when people go out to see a movie, they meet with new people. This is very common among the young individuals, who bonds so easily with people they meet at the cinema. For instance, my friend met his wife when he went to the cinema to watch Spiderman. Therefore, the benefit of going to the cinema cannot be neglected.

Freedom to watch the movie at their own pace is the reason why many prefer to watch movies online. Unlike in the cinema, they can decide to pause, rewind the movie to be able to rewatch a scene. They can also decide to change the speed at which they watch movies they see online. For example, my brother do not like missing a scene so when he watching film at home, he goes back to scenes that he do not understand. This cannot be allowed in the cinema.

In conclusion, although there is a valid reason why people do not see the importance of cinema and theatre. I still believe that the generating money for government and meeting new people makes it very valuable.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You discuss both perspectives and state a clear opinion: cinemas are valuable because they generate revenue and bring people together. The examples about ticket taxation, meeting a future spouse, and pausing or replaying films online make the points relevant to the question. However, the two sides are not developed equally. The case for online viewing is explained mainly through convenience and control, while the prompt’s cultural importance and broader economic contribution of theatres and cinemas receive little attention. Your own reasons are understandable, but the claim that cinemas generate money for government would be stronger with a clearer explanation of the wider economic effects. Develop each view with more specific reasoning and connect your conclusion more directly to the discussion.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the benefits of cinemas and online viewing, and a conclusion. This makes the main line of argument easy to follow. Linking expressions such as “This is because,” “Also,” “For instance,” and “In conclusion” help signal relationships between ideas. At times, however, the connections feel mechanical, and some references are unclear or repetitive. For example, “This is very common among the young individuals” does not clearly specify whether it refers to meeting people or forming relationships. The conclusion also repeats the two benefits without drawing together the contrast between in-person and online entertainment. Use clearer referencing and vary transitions while ensuring each paragraph develops one central point.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate your ideas, including “stream online,” “ticket sales,” “rewind,” and “pause.” Some attempts at more specific phrasing are useful, but word choice and collocation are sometimes inaccurate or repetitive. “Varying takes” is informal for this essay, and “the money that is been generated” is an awkward expression. The repeated use of “make money,” “watch movies,” and “people” also limits precision. Aim for more natural academic collocations and a wider range of terms for the two forms of entertainment, such as “cinema attendance,” “streaming services,” and “cultural venues.” More precise vocabulary would make your reasoning sound clearer and more formal without changing your accessible style.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and complex sentence forms, including clauses introduced by “because,” “when,” and “although,” and the overall meaning is generally understandable. However, errors in agreement, verb forms, and sentence construction occur across the response. Examples include “Others argues,” “Theatre and cinema allows,” “my brother do not like,” and “when he watching film.” The opening also contains a sentence fragment: “While some believe it is not valuable because they can stream online.” These errors make some sentences less controlled, even though readers can usually infer your meaning. Practise checking subject–verb agreement and complete clause structure, and revise verb phrases such as “is been generated” to use accurate passive forms. Greater accuracy in these patterns would improve readability.

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