Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-05

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)

Society is divided into altruistic and ecocentric mindsets of people. Although some masses hold the viewpoint that theatres and cinemas become less important because people can enjoy various forms of entertainment online, while others argue that these places still play a vital role in the society. In my opinion, I believe that latter statement holds more importance.

On the one hand, the major reason why some masses hold the former viewpoint that due to its convenience and affordibility. This is due to the fact that people can watch movies, television programmes and live performances from their homes without spending money on travelling and expenses ticket. For instance, a survey is conducted by entertainment department has provided concrete evidence by highlighting that 40% of people go to cinemas or theatres. As a result, many individuals prefer online entertainment because it saves both time and money.

On the other hand, I believe that the latter point of view supporters give this reason because they create employment opportunities for thousand of people, including actors, directors, technicians and staff members. They also contribute to the economy through ticket sales and tourism or business. The another reason is theatres and cinemas provide a unique social experience that cannot be fully replaced by watching movies at home.

To conclude, even though people believe former statement, I believe that latter statement is more valuable because it gives social experience and it create employment opportunities.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You present a clear opinion in the introduction and conclusion, favouring the continuing importance of theatres and cinemas, and you discuss both online convenience and the venues’ economic and social roles. These points are relevant, but the discussion is only partly developed: the claim that online viewing saves money is explained, while the employment and tourism points are listed without a specific example or explanation of their wider impact. The survey reference is also unclear and does not strongly support the argument, since it says 40% go to venues without explaining what the figure demonstrates. The response is 13 words below the required minimum, which limits the space available to develop the ideas. Extend each main point with a clear example or consequence.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable overall structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views, and a conclusion. The contrast markers “On the one hand” and “On the other hand” help readers follow the discussion, and the final paragraph restates your position. However, some links are mechanical or unclear. For example, “The another reason” does not connect smoothly to the preceding point, and “the latter point of view supporters” makes the reference difficult to follow. The first sentence introduces “altruistic and ecocentric mindsets,” which are not developed and distract from the topic’s progression. Use simpler, more direct topic sentences and make pronoun references explicit; this would make the argument flow more naturally.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some topic-relevant vocabulary, including “employment opportunities,” “ticket sales,” “tourism,” and “social experience,” and you attempt more formal expressions such as “concrete evidence.” This gives you enough range to communicate the main ideas. However, several choices are inaccurate or unnatural, including “altruistic and ecocentric mindsets,” “some masses,” “expenses ticket,” and “the latter point of view supporters.” Spelling errors such as “affordibility” and the imprecise phrase “thousand of people” also reduce accuracy. Aim for natural collocations rather than overly formal wording: for example, “many people” is clearer than “some masses.” More precise vocabulary would help express your ideas without making the reader pause.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and complex sentence forms, including a concession in “Although some masses hold the viewpoint…” and a reason introduced by “because.” The overall meaning is usually understandable, but errors in sentence construction and agreement are noticeable. “Although …, while others argue” combines two contrasting structures incorrectly; use either “Although some people believe…, others argue…” or “Some people believe…, while others argue…”. The sentence beginning “the major reason why…” is incomplete, and “it create employment opportunities” has a subject–verb agreement error. There are also problems with articles and plurals in “the society” and “for thousand of people.” Practise building complete clauses and checking agreement and articles, while retaining your attempts at complex sentences.

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

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