IELTS Writing Task 1 Maps Lesson

Introduction
This guide on IELTS Writing Task 1 maps questions will cover:

o Different kinds of map question

o Structure

o Describing specific changes

o Describing general changes

o Describing locations

o Sample answer

You will also be able to learn some new vocabulary that will help you deal with any Task 1
maps question.

In the IELTS writing test you might be asked to describe a map in task 1. This type of question
is becoming increasingly popular- in fact it was on the exam last weekend here in Vietnam- and
in my opinion, the easiest one to score high marks in, if you’re prepared.

Many students, books and teachers overlook this type of question and it is therefore a bit of a
shock when one comes up. Therefore, if you are prepared you will probably do better than most
of the other students.

Different Kinds of Map Question

There are three main types of map question:

1. Describe one map in the present day.

2. Describe two maps- one in the present and one in the future.

3. Describe two maps- one in the past and one in the present.

The first kind is very rare, as it only requires you to use the present simple and it is impossible
for any comparisons to be made.

The second kind does come up occasionally and would require you to use present and future
tenses. This kind of question is normally about the future development of a town or city. It
requires the same vocabulary as the other two.

The third is the most common and will be the main focus of this post.

You will normally be shown two maps, as above and asked to select and report the main
features, and make comparisons where relevant. You will obviously be using both present and
past tenses to describe the maps and how the town has developed.
Also, as this is a man-made process we will use the passive.

Source: Cambridge English Practice Papers.

Structure
To describe two maps I advise my students to follow a four paragraph structure.

Paragraph 1- Paraphrase Sentence

Paraphrase question using synonyms.

Paragraph 2- Overview

Make two general statements about the map. You should describe the maps generally and
write about the most noticeable differences between the two maps. You could ask yourself the
following questions to identify general changes. Is the map more or less residential? Is there
more or less countryside? Are there more or less trees? Were the changes dramatic or
negligible? Were there any major improvements in infrastructure? How have the buildings and
leisure facilities changed?

Paragraph 3- Main Body 1

Three to four sentences about specific changes that have occurred.

Paragraph 4- Main Body 2

Further three to four sentences about specific changes that have occurred.

You can group information together in paragraph 3 and 4 by time or location, depending on the
question asked.

Look at the sample answer below to see how I have used this structure.
How to Describe Specific Changes
The ability to describe change is crucial to answering these questions. The various buildings
and features will normally be labelled for you. What you need to work on is how to write about
how they have changed from the past up until the present day.

Tip: You may be asked to describe your hometown in the speaking test. The vocabulary and
grammar in this post should come in very useful.

Below I will list various buildings and features and verbs we could describe their change.

Buildings– demolished, knocked-down, flattened, replaced, renovated, built, constructed,

reconstructed, developed, extended, expanded, relocated, converted and modernized.

Examples:

The government demolished the industrial estate and developed a sports ground.

They removed the shops and replaced it with a skyscraper.

A port was constructed at the edge of the river.

The factory in the city centre was demolished and relocated to the north of the city.

The old warehouses were replaced with new hotels.

The factory was converted into apartments.

Trees and Forests- cleared, cut-down, chopped-down, removed, planted.

Examples:

The forest was cut-down and replaced with a shopping centre.

The trees were cleared to make way for houses.

Roads, bridges and railways lines- constructed, built, extended, expanded and removed.

The main road was extended and a new bridge built over the river.

Leisure facilities- opened, set up, developed.

Examples:

A skate park was set up next to the swimming pool.

A park was developed beside the forest.

How to Describe General Changes

As this is an IELTS writing task 1 question we must write an overview and this is where we talk
generally about the main changes that have occurred between the two maps.
Below are some examples of general statements we could use to describe change in towns
and cities.

1. Over the period, the area witnessed dramatic changes.

2. From 1995 to 2005, the city centre saw spectacular developments.

3. The village changed considerably over the time period.

4. During the 10 year period, the industrial area was totally transformed.

5. Over the past 20 years, the residential area was totally reconstructed.

6. Over the time period, the old docks were totally redeveloped.

7. Between 1995 and 2005, the old houses were rebuilt.

8. The central business district was completely modernised during the time period.

Pick two or three of the most noticeable differences in the map and write a general statement
for each. This will be your overview paragraph.

The more specific changes should be included in your main body paragraphs.

How to Describe Locations

You will also be expected to describe where things are maps and describe where changes
have occurred.

You can use ‘to the left’ and ‘to the right’, but a better way is to use ‘north’, ‘south’, ‘east’ and
‘west’. I normally advise my students to draw the symbols on the question paper if they are not
already there.

Examples:

The forest to the south of the river was cut down.

A golf course was constructed to the north of the airport.

The houses in the south-west of the town were demolished.

The green fields to the north-west of the city were redeveloped as a park.

The airport in the centre of the city was relocated to the north-east of the river.

The school to the south-east was knocked down and a new one built to the east of the forest.

Finally, you will also be expected to use prepositions of place, e.g.

at/in/on/by/beside/to/off/from, to describe where things are.

Examples:

Dramatic changes took place in the city centre.

To the south of the town, there is a golf course surrounded by trees.

A new school was built next to the swimming pool.

The old road running from north to south was replaced by a new motorway.

A marina was built on the banks of the river.

Sample Answer

Source: Cambridge English Practice

Papers.

Both maps display an island, before and after it was developed for tourism.

The island is approximately 250 metres long, has palm trees dotted around it, is surrounded by
ocean and has a beach to the west. Over the period, the island was completely transformed
with the addition of a hotel and a pier; however, the eastern part of the island appears to have
been left undeveloped.

The most noticeable additions are the hotel rooms. 6 buildings, surrounding some trees, have
been built in the west of the island and 9 buildings have been constructed in the centre of the
island.  Between the two accommodation areas, a reception building and a restaurant have
been developed.

A pier has also been built on the south coast of the island, allowing yachts access to the resort.
Apart from the trees, the beach remains the only natural feature to remain relatively untouched;
however, it does appear that it is now used for swimming.

(160 words)
IELTS Map - Writing Task 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

Below is a map of the city of Brandfield. City planners have decided to build a new
shopping mall for the area, and two sites, S1 and S2 have been proposed.

Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make
comparisons where relevant.

Write at least 150 words.

Map of Brandfield with two proposed sites for a shopping mall

 
Model Answer
The map illustrates plans for two possible sites for a shopping mall in the city of Brandfield. It
can be seen that the two sites under consideration are in the north and the south east of the
town.

The first possible site for the shopping mall, S1, is just north of the city centre, above the
railway line, which runs from the south east of the city to the north west. If it is built here, it will
be next to a large housing estate, thus providing easy access for those living on the estate and
in the city centre. It will also be next to the river, which runs through the town.

The site in the south east, S2, is again just by the railway line and fairly close to the city centre,
but it is near to an industrial estate rather than housing.

There is a main road that runs through the city and is close to both sites, thus providing good
road access to either location. A large golf course and park in the west of the town prevents this
area from being available as a site.

190 words 
The maps below show the centre of a small town called Islip as it is now, and plans for
its development.

The diagrams illustrate some proposed changes to the central area of the town of Islip.
It is clear that the principal change to the town will be the construction of a ring road around the
centre. Various other developments with regard to shops and housing will accompany the
building of this road.
Looking at the map of Islip as it is now, we can see that a main road runs through its centre
from east to west. The second map shows the planned pedestrianisation of this road. Traffic
will be diverted on to a dual carriageway that will form a ring around the town centre.
Currently there is a row of shops along either side of the main road. However, it appears that
the shops along the north side of the new pedestrian street will be demolished to make way for
a bus station, shopping centre, car park and new housing area. The shops along the south side
of the street will remain, but it seems that the town’s park will be reduced in size so that more
new houses can be built within the ring road.
Writing about Maps.

Maps sometimes show up in IELTS academic writing task 1. There are different types of maps
and the most common is the past and present (this task below) or sometimes both maps may
be in the past, there are also maps which show proposals for the future such as a
redevelopment scheme.

You will need to use specific vocabulary in this task, the grammar needed in this task below
would be the past tense (was /were) , the present perfect passive to describe change,
and prepositions. You also have to use specific language that shows location and change.
The structure for Writing task 1
Key vocabulary to use for describing maps

Example sentences:

Note that the grammar used to describe changes is in the passive.

 The offices were demolished and the surrounding area was redeveloped with a new

leisure centre opening up.
 The shopping centre was extended and the parking area was enlarged to
accommodate more cars
 The trees were cut down and a new office block was erected.
 A railway was constructed with the introduction of a new train station.
 The industrial area was modernised and made bigger with lots of new factories
being built
 The local government had the sports facilities renovated and the small park was made
into a children’s playground
 The park was replaced with a new housing complex.
 

Vocabulary for showing location

When describing the location of something on a map you should use phrases like:

 to the north of
 to the east of
 in the west
 to the south of
 north west of
Prepositions are essential when describing location on a map, such as:
 on
 next to
 near
  from north to south
 from east to west
 by
 across from
 nearby
 between
  beside
 over
 along
Example sentences:

 The trees to the north of the river were cut down and a new office block was built.
 A railway was constructed to the east of the housing estate with the introduction of a
new train station.
 The forest to the west of the park was cut down and a new housing complex was
constructed.
 The industrial area to the south west of the station was expanded.
Prepositions:
 Houses were constructed next to the primary school.
 The forest near the river was cut down.
 A new railway running from north to south was built.
 The footpath by the river was expanded.
 Parking facilities were added in the city centre.
 The school across from the park was extended and new sports facilities were built.
 

Vocabulary for describing change over time

When describing change, the present perfect and the present perfect passive is often used.
Time phrases are also used such as: over the 20 year period , from 1990 to 2000, over the
years, in the last 10 years, in the years after 1990 and so on.
The present perfect and The present perfect passive shows that something started in the
past up until the present moment (or near present)
Examples:  has witnessed big changes / has become more industrialised / has been built
/ has been modernised
Theses sentences below are often used to give an overview of the main differences between
two maps.

 Over the 20 year period the area has witnessed big changes especially to the

farmland areas which were redeveloped.
 From 1990 to 2010 a new housing estate was constructed where a school once stood.
 The forest and green spaces have been profoundly affected over the two
decades and were replaced by housing.
 In the period from 1990 onward, the leisure facilities were completely renovated.
 The city centre has seen dramatic changes over the years.
 In the years after 1990 the city centre was extensively modernised.
 The town used to be very green but it has become much more industrialised in the last
15 years.
  A new stadium has been built and more sports faciities have been opened up over
the years.
The Overview
The overview comes just after the introduction and makes a general statement about the main
differences between the maps. The overview is quite short, maybe about 2 or 3 sentences. Do
not go into detail in the overview.

In the task below, there are 2 maps, the past (1986) and present, in this case you will
need to use the past tense and the present perfect to describe the changes
Sample Task and Model Answer

‘The two maps below show the changes in the town of Denham from 1986 to the present
day. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make
comparisons where relevant.’

The maps illustrate the main changes which have taken place in the town of Denham from
1986 to the present moment.

Overall, the town has most notably shown an increase in housing development, which indicates
a higher population and a move away from agriculture and farming.

One change that stands out is that there has been a significant redevelopment over the whole
period. To the east of the river stoke, housing now dominates the area of what was once
farmland. In 1986 there were shops and just a handful of residential properties. Now there are
neither shops nor farmland left, although the post office is still there. The bridge over the river
stoke still stands as it did in 1986.

Another noticeable change is that more roads have been built around the housing complex.
Additionally, the gardens that were in front of the large house in 1986, have been removed and
the house has been expanded and converted into a retirement home. The primary school still
stands and has been extended in the decades since.