IELTS WRITING TASK 1 – Lesson 10 Maps

There are two kinds of maps you are going to be asked to write:

A general structure for a descriptive report on the changes of maps can be as follows:
 A brief introduction to the maps in your own words.
The maps show the development of……………………………between the
years………….and…………
The pictures highlight the changes that occurred in……………..throughout the ten-year
period from…………to…………….
The two maps show how……………underwent a complete transformation over the
period of…………………….., changing from……………to…………..
The map illustrates ……..possible suggestions/ sites for the construction
of………………….
 A short overview to describe what has happened to the place in general
In general, it appears that………………
Overall, what can been clearly seen from the maps is that……………
On the whole, the most notable change highlighted by these pictures is
that……………………
 The body paragraphs to describe all the main changes
A closer look at the maps show that………………..
One interesting/ notable change is that……………………..
Another striking/ noticeable change is that……………………..

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IELTS WRITING TASK 1 – Lesson 10 Maps

A final interesting development has been the……………….of……………

Các hướng trên bản đồ:
North (Bắc), South (Nam), East (Đông), West (Tây). Northeast (Đông Bắc), Southeast
(Đông Nam), Northwest (Tây Bắc), Southwest (Tây Nam).
Các từ để miêu tả vị trí của các địa điểm trên bản đồ
 A is/ lies/ is located/ is situated in/on / to the east/west/south/north of B
 A is in the eastern/ southern/ western/ northern part of B.
 A lies 120 km to the northwest of B.
 A is at/in the south-eastern corner of
Đối với các vị trí cụ thể hơn: in the center, in the corner, on the left/ right, in front of,
behind, next to, opposite, between…and…., among, across, on the bank of the river, on the
top of…, on the coast sea, etc.
Nói vị trí của địa điểm A có sự liên hệ với vị trí của địa điểm B:
 A is/ lies/ is located/ is situated in/on / to the east/west/south/north of B
 A is in the eastern/ southern/ western/ northern part of B.
 A lies 120 km to the northwest of B.
 A is at/in the south-eastern corner of
 On the south/southern side of the river
 On both sides of the road
 On the other side
 The area adjacent to/ near /next to/ just off the road
 At the southern end of the river
 A is on the opposite side of B
 A is opposite B
 A is on the eastern border of B
 A is on/ along the eastern edge of B
 To East the residential area there several derelict warehouses
 To the South the warehouse in the north are situated some office
Note: pay attention to signals, colors, lines below or on the left/ right of the map such
as traffic-free zone, railway, main road, subway.

Compiled by Huynh Van Nguyen

IELTS WRITING TASK 1 – Lesson 10 Maps

Changes of a city/ town

 The original/previous/former garden
 The size of the library has been enlarged/extended/halved/reduced by half
 The number of homes has increased/risen/grown/reduced
/decreased/dropped/fallen/
 doubled/ tripled/ quadrupled to 500.
 The farms completely disappeared/were removed.
 A becomes B
A is transformed/reconstructed/redeveloped/converted/changed/turned over to/
into B
 A is replaced /substituted by B / A gives way to B/ makes way for B
 A newly-built road
 A new car park was built/established/set up/constructed/completed and opened
in the middle of B
 A new IT centre has been added to the library
 The year 2000 saw two additions to the land: a pond in the northern part and a
vegetable garden on the opposite side.

Add Make bigger Take away Change into General

something sth else changes
new

Build Enlarge Cut down Convert Industrialize

Erect Expand Knock down (something Urbanize
Construct Widen Destroy into Modernize
something)
Make Extend Demolish See significant
Turn changes
redevelop Remove
(something
Connect Replace Witness
into something
Interconnect Make way for significant
Make changes
Join Give way for (something
Link Pull down into
Tear down something)

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IELTS WRITING TASK 1 – Lesson 10 Maps

Transform

Task 1 - Complete the following table with the noun forms of the verbs

Verb Noun Verb Noun

1. Demolish 11. Cut down

2. Construct 12. Transform

3. Build 13. Industrialize

4. Open 14. Erect

5. Knock down 15. Modernize

6. Expand 16. Urbanize

7. Convert 17. Redevelop

8. Introduce 18. Pedestrianize

9. Replace 19. Enlarge

10. Extend 20. disappear

1. It is interesting to note that the port area has been redeveloped.

……………………………………………………………………………………
2. Another striking change is that the university has been expanded.
……………………………………………………………………………………

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IELTS WRITING TASK 1 – Lesson 10 Maps

3. Notably, the old train station has been converted into a police station

……………………………………………………………………………………
4. The whole city has been modernized significantly in the last ten years.
……………………………………………………………………………………
5. Interestingly, a bike-rental scheme has been introduced.
……………………………………………………………………………………
6. There didn’t use to be a cinema or shops near the port, but over the last few
years new facilities in the port area have been built.

Task 2- Complete the model text describing the changes in the maps below using
the verbs and nouns given in the box.

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IELTS WRITING TASK 1 – Lesson 10 Maps

- Turned into - Relocation

- Had been replaced - Development
- Were demolished - Main changes
- Encroaching on - Expansion
- Make way for - Construction
- Situated - Conversion
- Divides - Urbanization
- Became
- Took place

The maps show the……………………that……………………in the town of Eastminster

between the years 1999 and 2009. In general, it appears that Eastminster
……………………more urbanized with less open spaces over the decade.
A closer look at the maps show that north of the river, which……………………the town,
the woodland in the northwest was……………………an adventure park. Moreover, by
2009 the large house with gardens …………………with a hotel and a golf course. More
houses were also built…………………the park in the northwest. The other
main…………………north of the river was the…………………of the school from the south
bank of the river.

One more striking point can be seen in the area south of the river that experienced
greater………………… To the east, the streets of houses…………………
to…………………blocks of flats. By 2009, where a public garden stood south of the old
streets of houses, there were more houses. Further developments that occurred
were the…………………of factories and warehouses along the railway line together
with the…………………of the school on the river into a new shopping complex. The
final transformation was the…………………of the hospital west of the old
school…………………on the river.

Compiled by Huynh Van Nguyen

IELTS WRITING TASK 1 – Lesson 10 Maps

Task 3: The map below is of the town of Garlsdon. A new supermarket (S) is
planned for the town. The map shows two possible sites for the supermarket.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and
make comparisons where relevant.

The picture illustrates two possible sites for the construction of a……………………………
planned for the town of Garlsdon.
The first potential location (S1) is…………………the town itself, and is sited just off
the……………. …………….to the town of Hindon, lying 12 kms to the……………………………..
This site is in the countryside and so would be able to ………………………….a lot of car
parking, making it accessible to shoppers from both Hindon and Garlson who could
travel by car. As it is also close to the…………………………..liking the two towns to
Cransdon (25 kms to the……………….......)
, a potentially large number of shoppers would also be able to travel by train.
In contrast, the suggested location, S2, is right in the………………….., which would be
good for local residents. Theoretically the store could be accessed by road or rail from
the surrounding towns, including Bransdon, but as the central area is a…………………….,
cars would be unable to park and access would be difficult.
Overall, neither site is appropriate for all the towns, but for customers in Crasdon,
Hindon and Garlsdon, the out-of-town site (S1) would probably offer more advantages.

Compiled by Huynh Van Nguyen

IELTS WRITING TASK 1 – Lesson 10 Maps

Task 4: Work on the following maps

1. The maps below show the development of the village of Kelsbey between 1780
and 2000. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main
features, and make comparison where relevant.

2. The government is planning to build bridge(s) to connect X Town and Y Town.

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

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IELTS WRITING TASK 1 – Lesson 10 Maps

3. The two maps illustrate the changes of a school campus from 1985 to 2012.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main changes, and
make comparison where relevant.

4.

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IELTS WRITING TASK 1 – Lesson 10 Maps

5. The diagrams below show the problem of flooding in a UK town and two
possible solutions. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the
main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Compiled by Huynh Van Nguyen