Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-23

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 5.0)

In this essay we will discuss about the modern era of entertainment with comparison between cinema and ott platforms, the comparison will be made on the grounds of all about costing and convenience.

Overall ott subscriptions are comparitively cheaper than cinema theatres and they also have a facility with numerous watch time without any extra cost. Some cinema theatres provide free food items with purchase of two tickets.

In the digital age ott platforms like netflix and prime video are very famous among the young generation with all kinds of taste and desire with no compulsion of a fixed watchtime and sitiing arrangement. When a movie is launched on the ott platform the graphics and sound quality is very downgraded and low as compared with the cinema theatres. Many cinema theatres in Delhi NCR such as Emporio and Promenade theatres have a facility of giving free popcorns and coldrinks with purchase of tickets worth a thousand bucks.

Now also many people have an excitement of going to cinema theatres for watching movies and shows. A major drawback for the ott platforms is that the article or the movie is available for subscribers a bit late and is delayed by the board members due to the cinema rights imposed by the central government. Major difference is that cinema gives a quality of time with happiness and joy whereas ott is available on each and every personal digital device having internet such as laptops and mobile phones. Nowadays young generation prefer ott subscriptions as per their choice and preference as well as on a single subscription they have an advantage of watching on multiple devices across the map.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response4.5
Coherence and Cohesion4.5
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.5
Overall5.0

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

The response is only partially successful in addressing the prompt. It discusses online viewing through convenience and subscription cost, and cinema through the experience of watching on a large screen, but the economic and cultural importance of theatres and cinemas is not meaningfully explored. The opening promises a comparison based on “costing and convenience,” which narrows the discussion and leaves the cultural dimension largely absent. Your own position is also not clearly stated: the conclusion-like final paragraph lists advantages of both options without saying which view you support or how you weigh them. To strengthen the response, address both views directly, explain their economic and cultural significance, and state a clear opinion supported by developed examples.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

There is some paragraphing, and the response moves from an introduction to online platforms and then to cinema and viewing preferences. However, the overall progression is difficult to follow because the paragraphs do not consistently develop a clear central argument. The second paragraph introduces free food at cinemas, but this point is not connected to the main comparison; the next paragraph shifts abruptly to platform quality and cinema concessions. Linking phrases such as “Now also” and “Major difference” do not clearly show how ideas relate, and the final paragraph does not function as a clear conclusion. Organise the essay around the two opposing views, use each paragraph to develop one main point, and finish by summarising your position.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The response uses a reasonable range of topic vocabulary, including “subscriptions,” “graphics and sound quality,” “cinema rights,” and “multiple devices.” These terms help communicate the subject, but several choices are inaccurate, informal, or repetitive, which limits precision. For example, “watch time” is not the natural term for viewing flexibility, “free popcorns and coldrinks” is awkward, and “a thousand bucks” is too informal for an academic essay. There are also spelling errors such as “comparitively” and “sitiing.” Aim for more precise collocations and a consistently formal register, and check spelling carefully. This would make your ideas clearer and more appropriate to the task.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more extended sentence forms, and the main meaning is generally understandable. However, errors in sentence construction and grammatical patterns recur. For example, “we will discuss about” uses an unnecessary preposition, while “with all kinds of taste and desire” does not form a clear grammatical relationship. The sentence beginning “When a movie is launched…” also combines several ideas without a clear structure, and “young generation prefer” has a subject–verb agreement error. Some sentences are long and joined in ways that make relationships between clauses unclear. Practise building accurate complex sentences with clear subjects and verbs, and check agreement, articles, and punctuation when editing.

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

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