Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-24

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)

In this digital age movies, dramas and other sorts of entertainment are all available online and one can access it through their mobile, computer or even from their smart TV. Soon after the advent of Netflix, Prime Video and other movie streaming platforms, the flux of people going to theatres has significantly decreased. Without any doubt, the main reason is that one can access many movies through buying their subscription which can cost them less.

In contrast, the arguement of economical and cultural importance of cinema is also valid. The experience of watching movie in cinema cannot be compared to that watching it on smart TV at home. The movie theatres and cinemas has their established sound system which can make one feel that they are inside the movie. Movie enthusiasts and entertainment lovers prefer cinema for watching movies, even in this era of digitalisation where they can easily access the movie. Theatres have also evolved over time. The famous IMax screens, three dimensional movie experiences and sprinkling water over the audience offer a unique experience of watching a movie.

In my opinion, theatres and cinemas holds a significant position in entertainment industry. There was a time when i used to second the idea that movies can be easily accessed online and theatres become obselete. I watched many movies on Netflix through smart TV but when I went to watch Odysses in cinema my perspective and perception changed. The breathtaking experience which I felt there was of no match. In fact the flux of people is not that high which used to be before digital age, but the ambiance and excited atmosphere make it feel that even today watching movies in cinemas are worthwhile.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You address both views and make your own position clear: online access is convenient and cheaper, while cinemas offer a distinctive experience, and you ultimately support their continuing importance. The personal example of watching “Odysses” helps explain how your opinion changed. This covers the task well, but the economic and cultural arguments are not developed as fully as the experiential argument. For example, the opening focuses on subscription costs and declining attendance, while the second paragraph mainly describes sound and special effects; it does not explain much about cinemas’ economic contribution or broader cultural role. To strengthen the response, add specific support such as employment and local business benefits, or cinemas’ role in shared cultural events and film releases, and extend each point with a clear explanation or example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall structure: online entertainment is introduced first, the case for cinemas follows, and the final paragraph gives your opinion and personal experience. Transitions such as “In contrast” and “In my opinion” help signal the direction of the argument, and the ideas within each paragraph are generally related. This is a coherent arrangement, though some connections are broad or repetitive. The second paragraph moves from the cinema experience to enthusiasts and then to special effects without clearly distinguishing the cultural and economic claims in the prompt. The final paragraph also repeats the contrast between online viewing and cinema. Use clearer topic sentences to organise each side of the discussion, and link examples explicitly to the claim they support; this would make progression more controlled and cohesion less dependent on basic signposting.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use an adequate range of topic vocabulary, including “streaming platforms,” “subscription,” “sound system,” “three dimensional,” and “ambiance.” Some less common choices, such as “breathtaking experience” and “perspective,” help convey your personal response. However, several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or imprecise: “flux of people” is not natural for attendance, “economical importance” is less suitable than “economic importance,” and “sprinkling water over the audience” may not clearly describe the effect intended. There are also spelling errors, including “arguement,” “obselete,” and “Odysses.” These do not prevent understanding, but they limit precision. Aim for accurate collocations and check spelling, especially for key terms and proper names.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex forms, including a subordinate clause in “where they can easily access the movie” and a contrastive structure beginning “In fact.” Meaning remains clear throughout, but some grammatical errors recur. For example, “one can access it” does not agree with the plural list of entertainment types, “The movie theatres and cinemas has” needs a plural verb, and “theatres and cinemas holds” also has subject–verb disagreement. Articles and sentence patterns need attention in “watching movie in cinema” and “cannot be compared to that watching it.” Capitalisation and punctuation are also inconsistent, as in “i” and the opening sentence, which would benefit from a comma after “In this digital age.” Review agreement, articles, and parallel structures, then proofread each sentence for accuracy.

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