Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-22
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 6.5)
Some individuals argue that, the prevalance of technology in the digital era made theatres and cinemas less essential because they can enjoy all the entertainment online. However, according to another group, due to economical and cultural benefits cinemas and theatres are still significant. The following essay will discuss both of the opinions and then I will give my opinion.
On the one hand, online platforms have made entertainment conveninent, flexible and popular. Also there are lots of options to choose from, anyone can now easily watch anything to their preferrence. For example, last month I beinge watched "Harry Potter" series again, despite it's unavailability on any TV channel or any theatre; through netflix I could enjoy it. Furthermore, people are quite busy these days to spare any time to go to the theatre or cinema to watch a show; that's why the opt for the most suitable alternative which is watching it online.Therefore, online is the best possible option for entertainment of the younger generation .
On the other hand, theatres and cinemas have a different sort to benefits such as they improve social bonds, they preserve the cultural heritage also watching a movie at theatres feels like a festival. In addition, the people who are involved in making the shows get financial support and the local theatre artists feel encouraged to do more work. Besides, people with same taste of movies can meet with each other at theatres and cinemas, there they will get the chace to share their views with each other. This promotes better in-person communication among individuals which is getting hampered by the development of social media. Therefore, watching at theatres and cinemas can strengthen the social bonds and provide economical benefits to the people involved.
In my opinion, even though online watching is more flexible, it can reduce the connectivity among individuals. Cinemas and theatres can reduce this by improving the communication and bonding among people.
In conclusion, the advantages of watching a show at cinemas and theatres outweigh the advantages of watching it online.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5
You address both views and give a clear opinion: online viewing is convenient, while cinemas and theatres support social connection and provide economic and cultural value. The personal example about watching the Harry Potter series helps illustrate the first view, and the points about supporting artists and meeting people develop the second. Your conclusion also makes your preference clear. This meets the task well, with some elements of a stronger response, but the discussion is unevenly developed: the cultural benefit is mentioned rather than explained, and the economic benefit is asserted without a specific example. Your opinion focuses mainly on social connection, so explain more directly why the economic and cultural arguments do or do not outweigh online convenience.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0
The essay has a clear overall structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for each view, your opinion, and a conclusion. The progression is easy to follow, and signposts such as “On the one hand,” “On the other hand,” and “In conclusion” help readers track the argument. Within the body paragraphs, however, several points are joined in a list-like way, particularly the benefits of theatres and cinemas, rather than being grouped and developed through clear cause-and-effect links. The transition from the discussion of both views to your opinion is also brief, and the conclusion largely repeats the position. To strengthen cohesion, use referencing and linking to show how each example supports the central comparison, while varying the signposting.
Lexical Resource: Band 6.0
You use an adequate range of topic vocabulary, including “digital era,” “cultural heritage,” “financial support,” and “social bonds,” and the intended meaning is generally clear. There are also attempts at more specific phrasing, such as “in-person communication.” However, some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward, including “a different sort to benefits,” “theatre artists feel encouraged to do more work,” and “the connectivity among individuals.” Spelling errors such as “prevalance,” “conveninent,” and “chace” also reduce accuracy. These issues do not prevent understanding, but they limit precision and naturalness. Aim to learn common collocations for discussing cultural and economic effects, and proofread spelling and word forms.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including clauses introduced by “because,” “even though,” and “which,” and most ideas remain understandable. Some sentence patterns are handled successfully, such as “even though online watching is more flexible, it can reduce the connectivity among individuals.” However, errors occur in verb forms, articles, agreement, and punctuation. For example, “last month I beinge watched” has an incorrect verb form, while “the opt” and “people with same taste” show problems with sentence construction and article use. There are also run-on or poorly punctuated transitions, as in “online.Therefore,” and inconsistent apostrophe use in “it's.” Work on accurate past-tense forms and check each sentence for complete clauses, articles, and punctuation; this will make your varied structures more controlled.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.