Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-25

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)

Well its true that now cinemas and theatres culture is not very common, because everything is now available on your mobile which has made everything acssible and easy.You don't have to visit anywhere just to watch a movie, you can just watch it online and now many are available in good prints which has made this feature more preferrable. However, many still prefer to watch movies in cinemas as they like to watch on big screens and there people like to get involved in movies which makes a very good and enjoyable atmosphere which many people like.Now, if you see it economically theatres are a bit more expensive as ticket prices have increased and there you will also likely to buy popcorn and drinks to enjoy movie which are always expensive, thus making a simple trip to cinema expensive which many people can't afford to replicate more than once in a month or even months.On the otherhand everyone has a smartphone you just need an internet and a subscription of netflix/amazon which you can use entire month and still cost you less than a single trip to cinema, you can also enjoy cheap outdoor food or home made food which also doubles down expense as compare to cinema.let me give you an example of myself, the cinema ticket cost around 1500 in pakistan and popcorn or drinks around 1000 which costs around 2500.Whereas, susbscription of netflix is around 600 and if you include expense of food it will cost around 12-1500. which is way cheaper than a single trip to cinema,plus i will enjoy netflix in that amount for a full month.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You address the online-versus-venue comparison and give a clear preference for online viewing through the cost comparison between a cinema visit and a Netflix subscription. The Pakistan example makes this point concrete. However, the task asks you to discuss both views and explain the cultural as well as economic importance of theatres and cinemas. The response gives some reasons for cinema attendance, such as the large screen and shared atmosphere, but does not develop their cultural value, and the economic discussion focuses almost entirely on why cinemas are expensive rather than their economic contribution. Your position is also implied rather than stated directly. Develop both sides more evenly and conclude with a clear opinion supported by the discussion.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response has a recognisable progression: it introduces online convenience, contrasts this with the cinema experience, and then compares costs using a personal example. Linking expressions such as “However,” “Whereas,” and “thus” help signal some relationships between ideas. Nevertheless, the writing is presented as one long paragraph, so the main stages of the argument are difficult to distinguish. Several ideas are joined in lengthy sentences, and transitions sometimes feel abrupt, particularly when moving from the cinema atmosphere to ticket costs and then to the personal example. Use separate paragraphs for the two views and your opinion, and make each paragraph develop one central point with clear references and transitions.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate the main comparison, including “big screens,” “ticket prices,” “subscription,” and “expense.” The personal cost example also makes the language relevant to the topic. However, the range is limited and some wording is repetitive, especially repeated uses of “expensive,” “cost,” and “enjoy.” There are also noticeable spelling and word-choice problems, such as “acssible,” “preferrable,” and “doubles down expense,” which can distract the reader or make meaning less precise. Aim for more accurate collocations and a wider range of terms for the venue experience and its cultural role, such as “shared experience” or “live performance.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt to connect ideas using longer sentences and clauses, for example when explaining that people enjoy the atmosphere of watching films on a large screen. However, these complex sentences are often difficult to control, and frequent errors in sentence boundaries, punctuation, articles, and verb forms affect readability. The opening, “Well its true that now cinemas and theatres culture is not very common,” has an unclear grammatical structure, while “you will also likely to buy” is missing a verb form. Several sentences run together without full stops, including the cost comparison and personal example. Practise building accurate simple sentences first, then combine related ideas with controlled clauses and consistent punctuation.

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