Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-27

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 5.5)

These days there is a common perception among people that cinema and theatres will be replaced by the online entertainment stuff , while other view that cinemas are important in terms of economy and cultural aspect of the entertainment.

Living in the age of technology, where most of the things are replaced by the technology, theatre and cinema lose their existence, somehow.

Firstly, in today's world everything is digitalized and one click away, same is with the entertainment world. Movies and shows are now available on internet. for example, movies and shows are now released on the digital platforms like Netflix etc. Instead of being shown to the cinema there are online platforms available.

Secondly, shows goes live on the platforms like Youtube where people can easily watch according to their convenience, which made the need to go to the cinema made of less common.

On the other hand, cinemas are the place where people go and have fun with their friends and family and they have activity outside of their digital world. Having cinema helps to have the economic support to the people like ticket holder and alot of other people working there, it provide the employment opportunities to the people, and it is also a way to connect with the film stars and to appreciate them instead of giving them online responses.

In conclusion, the cinemas has been replaced by the advancement of technology, people can easily see the the content online but the economic and cultural factor has been affected.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both sides of the discussion: online access is presented as convenient, while cinemas are linked to employment, social outings and cultural appreciation. However, the discussion is only partly developed. The online-view paragraph mainly lists streaming and live platforms, without explaining in depth why these make theatres less important. The opposing view includes several relevant points, but “connect with the film stars” is not clearly explained as a cultural benefit. Your own position is also difficult to identify: the conclusion says cinemas “has been replaced” but then notes that economic and cultural factors are affected, leaving unclear whether you believe cinemas remain important. State your view directly and support each main point with a specific explanation or example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views, and a conclusion. Sequencing words such as “Firstly,” “Secondly,” and “On the other hand” help signal the change in argument. However, progression within paragraphs is limited, and the points often appear as a list rather than being developed and connected. The conclusion does not clearly resolve the contrast between the views, so the overall line of argument is difficult to follow. Some links are also awkward or repetitive, such as the repeated reference to movies and shows being available online. Build each paragraph around one main idea, explain its consequence, and use clear references to connect sentences.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including “digital platforms,” “employment opportunities,” and “cultural aspect.” However, the range is limited and several expressions are imprecise or unnatural, which sometimes makes the meaning less clear. For example, “online entertainment stuff” is too informal for an academic essay, while “theatre and cinema lose their existence” does not express the intended idea naturally. “Ticket holder” is also unclear in the context of employment. There is repetition of basic terms such as “people,” “movies and shows,” and “online.” Aim for more precise collocations and vary your wording, while checking spelling and word forms such as “a lot” and “digitalised.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt some longer sentence forms, including “Living in the age of technology, where most of the things are replaced by the technology…” and the sentence beginning “Having cinema helps…”. However, these attempts are often faulty, and many sentences rely on simple patterns. Errors in agreement and verb forms occur in examples such as “shows goes live,” “it provide,” and “the cinemas has been replaced.” Articles and sentence boundaries also need attention: “Having cinema” is missing an article, and “for example” begins a new sentence without a capital letter. These errors sometimes make the reader pause to interpret the message. Practise accurate subject–verb agreement and article use, and revise longer sentences into clear, complete clauses.

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