Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-31

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)

Some people say that in the digital age, theatre 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. Everyone has their own perspectives when it is come to the argument for cinemas.

In this busy world, people are not able to make time to go to theatres. So it will be easy for thm if the movies are available online. It will help them to watch a ,ovie in a calm environment. And also to this, the price of the tickets available online are too expensive including the tax. Hence watching online movies are easily affordable. Theatres are seem to be more crowded during the movie relese. So the people who are not able to manage in the crowd can access the movie online. On top of this, nog only their native language movies, people can watch movies from various countries with subtitles, so that they can understand the movie bit easily. The snacks provided in the theatres are not affordable. Hence people can watch movies in their home wiht home-made snacks. Every family member can enjoy the movies with great comfort in their home and they are able to watch the movies whenever they can.

But, in case of economic purpose, every person needs to go to the theatre to watch movies. As producers are spending a lot of money to build a movie. In return they are expecting people to watch it on theatres. Watching movies in theatre and cinemas will benifit both the movie crew and the theatre owners. Specific movies are needed to watch in the theatre to experience the environment and cultural activities mentioned in them. For example 3D movies are suggested to watch in theatres to experience the three dimensional view. Theatrical experiences are very much important to certain movies. So we can't miss those movies by watching online. Watching movies in theatres and cinemas will help the society both economically and culturally.

Hence watching movies both online and theatres are appreciable but there are some cases where we need to reconsider our choice of places to watch movie.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response6.0
Coherence and Cohesion5.5
Lexical Resource5.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address both views and give a concluding position: online viewing is convenient and affordable, while cinemas support the film industry and offer a distinctive experience. The examples about subtitles, homemade snacks and 3D films make the discussion relevant. However, the two sides are not developed equally. The online-viewing paragraph gives several practical reasons, whereas the economic point that producers expect audiences to attend is asserted rather than explained—for example, how cinema revenue supports production or employment. The cultural argument is also quite general; the reference to cultural activities in films does not clearly show why a cinema setting preserves or promotes culture. Your final view is present, but could be stated more decisively and supported with a clear comparison of the two options. (37 words copied from the task prompt were not counted.)

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable overall structure: an introduction, a paragraph on online viewing, a contrasting paragraph on cinemas, and a conclusion. This makes the main direction understandable. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes list-like, with many points joined by “And also,” “Hence,” and “On top of this.” These transitions can feel mechanical, and the repeated use of “Hence” does not always show a precise relationship between ideas. Some links are also unclear, such as “But, in case of economic purpose,” which does not smoothly introduce the opposing view. Group related reasons and use clearer topic sentences and referencing; this would make the argument easier to follow without changing its basic structure.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to discuss convenience, affordability, audiences and the film industry, including “subtitles,” “three dimensional view,” and “theatre owners.” However, the range is limited by repeated use of “watch movies,” “theatre,” and “people,” and some word choices or collocations are inaccurate or awkward, such as “the price of the tickets available online,” “movies are suggested to watch,” and “economic purpose.” Spelling errors—including “relese,” “benifit,” and “wiht”—also make the writing less polished. Aim for more precise expressions and check spelling carefully. For instance, distinguish ticket prices from online access costs, and use natural phrases such as “cinema attendance” or “the theatrical experience.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including clauses with “as,” “so that,” and “where,” and the main meaning is generally recoverable. However, errors in sentence structure and agreement recur. Examples include “when it is come to the argument,” “the price … are too expensive,” “Watching online movies are easily affordable,” and “Theatres are seem to be more crowded.” The final sentence also needs a clearer parallel structure: “watching movies both online and theatres” compares a method with a place. Some sentence fragments, such as “And also to this,” interrupt the flow. Practise accurate subject–verb agreement and complete clause construction, then proofread each sentence for a clear subject, verb and grammatical relationship.

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