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)

It is often argued that, in the modern age, theatres and cinemas are no longer important because people can watch all the entertainment they want online, whereas other people believe that theatres and cinemas are still important both economically and culturally. I strongly agree that cinemas and theatres are no longer important in the modern age.

Initially, why are cinemas and theatres not important? One reason is that people can see everything online. It has a lot of conveniences, like do not time waste. It takes a lot of time to go to theatres, while people can watch online. Watching online reduces people's valuable time. If they go to the theatre to watch a film, their valuable time will be lost. Another advantage is that it will not give any transport costs. When people go to the theatre for seeing film, there is a huge amout of transport costs they need to pay. For example, at this time people can see films or any movies with their family without any costs. They can watch movies, games, films, etc.

On the other hand, some people argued that theatres and cinema halls are beneficial. They mentioned that it is important for economic and cultural reasons. Sometimes it grows the economy. For example, some people work there so that earn money for their families. As a result, unemployment will be slightly remove from our society.

In conclusion, though theatres and cinema halls are occasionally important, I prefer watching entertainment online because it adavantages outweigh the drawbacks.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You state a clear opinion—that theatres and cinemas are no longer important—and give reasons related to convenience and transport costs. You also acknowledge the opposing view by mentioning employment and economic benefits. However, the discussion is only partial: the cultural importance named in the prompt is not explained, and the economic point is brief and unsupported beyond a general reference to jobs. The online-view examples are also repetitive and do not fully establish that venues are no longer important. The response contains 225 words, so it is 25 words below the required minimum; this limits the space available to develop both sides. Explain the cultural argument and extend each main point with a specific example or consequence.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, a paragraph supporting online entertainment, a paragraph presenting the opposing view, and a conclusion. Transitions such as “On the other hand” and “In conclusion” help signal these stages. However, progression within paragraphs is limited, and several points repeat the same idea about watching films online and saving time. The opening question, “Initially, why are cinemas and theatres not important?”, does not lead to a clearly organised sequence of distinct reasons. Some links between ideas are also unclear, particularly the move from employment to reducing unemployment. Develop one central point at a time, use clear cause-and-effect links, and ensure each paragraph advances the discussion rather than restating an earlier claim.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including “transport costs,” “economy,” “culturally,” and “unemployment.” The wording is generally understandable, but the range is limited and several expressions are inaccurate or unnatural, which sometimes makes the reader pause. For example, “do not time waste” and “a huge amout of transport costs” do not express the intended ideas naturally, while “it advantages outweigh the drawbacks” contains an incorrect word form. “Films,” “movies,” and “entertainment” are also repeated without much variation. Build a more precise set of phrases for convenience, access, cultural value, and employment, and check spelling and collocations when revising.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You use mostly simple sentence patterns, with some attempts to connect clauses using “because,” “while,” and “so that.” These structures help communicate the basic argument, but the range is limited and errors occur frequently enough to affect clarity. For instance, “It has a lot of conveniences, like do not time waste” has an incomplete construction, and “some people work there so that earn money” is missing a subject in the second clause. In “When people go to the theatre for seeing film,” the verb pattern and article use are faulty. Practise building accurate complex sentences with clear subjects and verbs, and check articles, verb forms, and agreement. Shorter, complete sentences will also help make your reasoning easier to follow.

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

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