Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-02

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)

I can agree with this statement but I have a preference for theatres and cinemas to be able to communicate with other people and be more sociable. Relating to this fact, it's important to see the consequences of media and technology at present because we usually decide to stay at home, watching everything online rather than go outside and explore the world. Of course we all must know about the importance of all this entertainment and we must try to spend our time making something beneficial for the economy and culture. They have an important role in each town and if we don't organise our life and free time, they will not be able to maintain the economy at the same level.

I can give an example from the small town where I live at present. Here, the economy started to decline and people decided to spend time with family at home. I don't see an impressive number of people going to the cinema or theatres, but I can see numerous second-hand shops and restaurants.

We are not able to see the importance of those places anymore and how education plays a vital role in life. We must teach our children how important it is to maintain the theatres and cinemas in life because at school is still valuable for teachers to teach them and sometimes I can see an impressive number of kids who are going in groups at cinema and theatre to learn new things and be able to communicate and socialise in others places, not just online.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You give a personal preference for theatres and cinemas, especially because they encourage social interaction, and you include a local example. However, the task asks you to discuss both views, and the case for online entertainment is not clearly explained: staying home to watch online is mentioned, but its advantages are not explored. The economic and cultural arguments are also asserted rather than developed; for example, the claim that venues help maintain the economy is not supported with a clear explanation. Your point about children learning and socialising is relevant, but the response does not consistently distinguish cultural value from economic value. To strengthen the answer, explain each side directly and support your position with specific reasons and examples.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response has a basic paragraph structure, moving from your general view to a local example and then to education and children. Some links, such as “Relating to this fact” and “Of course,” signal connections between ideas. However, the overall progression is difficult to follow because several points are combined without a clear relationship. For instance, the discussion shifts from the town’s economy to second-hand shops and restaurants without explaining how these illustrate the value of cinemas or theatres. The final paragraph also moves between education, schools, teachers and socialising. Use clearer topic sentences and organise the essay around the two views before presenting your opinion; make each example explicitly support the point it follows.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a reasonable range of topic-related vocabulary, including “economy,” “culture,” “education,” “communicate” and “socialise,” which helps convey your main concerns. There are also attempts at more specific expressions such as “plays a vital role” and “decline.” However, some word choices and combinations are awkward or imprecise, including “making something beneficial for the economy and culture” and “maintain the economy at the same level.” Repetition of “important” and “impressive number” also limits precision. Aim for more natural collocations and vocabulary that directly describes the topic, such as cultural venues, local employment and shared experiences. This would make your ideas clearer without requiring unnecessarily complex wording.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including clauses with “because,” “if” and “how,” and your meaning is generally understandable. Some sentences are controlled, such as “Here, the economy started to decline and people decided to spend time with family at home.” However, errors in sentence construction and grammatical patterns remain, particularly in longer sentences. For example, “I can agree with this statement but I have a preference…” is an awkwardly formed opening, while “at school is still valuable for teachers to teach them” has an unclear structure. The final sentence also contains several clauses that are difficult to connect. Practise building shorter, complete sentences first, then combine ideas with accurate clause structures and punctuation.

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