Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-24
IELTS Writing Task 2 question
All university undergraduate courses should include a period of time spent studying abroad or doing a work placement.
Do you think the advantages of this would outweigh the disadvantages?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Student answer (Band 5.0)
From From the past few years, theatres and cinemas has been playing an important in shaping culture and providing economic benefits to the country. However, current era has completely changed this scenario and now people are able to watch latest movies while sitting at home.
Numerous people argue that there's no need to visit theatres and cinemas. The main reason is that it's not convenient for everyone to watch movies in theatre or cinemas. For instance, citizens living in the rural areas don't have the access to cinemas. the only way to watch movies is is Netflix and Prime videos which makes it easier for them to access those movies.
Quite Contrary to that many people also think that theatres and cinemas are still important today as they are engaged in contributing toward country's economic and cultural values. if we demolish theatres and cinemas, numerous people will end up losing their jobs and many people may forget about their cultural values. For example, In 2017, there was a ban on cinemas in pakistan for 2 years. People start forgetting about their true cultural values because many people believe that theatres and cinemas is a way of reflecting a specifc culture.
In my point of view, theatres and cinemas are no longer important because there are several other platforms like Youtube, Netflix, Prime Videos, through which you can easily watch all of those movies which are available on the cinemas. Let's Suppose, i have paid for the Netflix membership fee, obviously i will prefer to enjoy those movies at home as i have paid for it and I feel convenient in watching movies at home.
Overall, theatres and cinemas still possesses a significant importance to some people but in this digital age it is preferred to watch movies on Netflix and Youtube.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0
The candidate has failed to address the actual prompt provided in the task instructions. The prompt specifically asks about university undergraduate courses including a period of studying abroad or doing a work placement, and whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. Instead, the student writes about whether theatres and cinemas are still important or if they should be replaced by streaming services like Netflix. This represents a complete misinterpretation of the task. Because the entire essay is off-topic and discusses an unrelated prompt, the response cannot achieve a passing band score for Task Achievement and must be awarded a Band 4.0, as the writing responds to a completely different task than the one assigned.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
Despite the severe off-topic nature of the content, the essay is paragraphed logically, with an introduction, supporting body paragraphs, and a conclusion. The student uses basic cohesive devices such as 'However', 'For instance', 'Quite Contrary to that', and 'Overall' to guide the reader through the text. However, referencing is sometimes imprecise, as seen with pronoun shifts and capitalization errors (e.g., beginning sentences mid-phrase with lowercase letters or stray punctuation). Paragraphing is present and structurally attempts to separate different arguments, but the overall logical progression is undermined by the total irrelevance of the topic to the given prompt. Therefore, a Band 5.5 is appropriate for overall organization despite the content flaws.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary for communicating basic ideas, using terms such as 'economic benefits', 'cultural values', and 'streaming services' (implied via platforms). However, there are numerous lexical and grammatical-lexical slips throughout the text. Examples include 'has been playing an important' (missing noun like 'role'), 'are engaged in contributing toward', and repeated minor errors. Less common vocabulary is attempted with mixed success, and there are mechanical errors such as capitalization failures ('pakistan', 'Youtube') and awkward word choices ('feel convenient in watching'). The range is sufficient to convey the student's personal opinions, but inaccuracies place it firmly within Band 5.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing conditional clauses ('if we demolish theatres...') and relative clauses ('platforms like Youtube, Netflix, Prime Videos, through which...'). However, grammatical control is weak, with frequent errors that cause strain. Examples include subject-verb agreement errors ('theatres and cinemas has been', 'theatres and cinemas is a way'), double auxiliary usage ('the only way to watch movies is is Netflix'), and punctuation/capitalization issues throughout ('Let's Suppose, i have paid...'). While complex structures are attempted, the high frequency of basic grammatical mistakes keeps the response at a Band 5.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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