Academic Writing Task 1

IELTS Writing Task 1: Map

To answer an IELTS map question, compare the two maps chronologically, group changes by area of the site, and use appropriate language of location and change (such as "was replaced by" or "to the north of"). Focus on major transformations rather than every small detail, and organise the answer into a clear overview plus two detail paragraphs.

Sample task

The maps below show the village of Ashbourne in 1995 and the same village in 2020. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.

What the visual shows

Two maps showing the village of Ashbourne in 1995 and in 2020

In 1995, a single road ran east to west through the village with a small primary school on its north side and open farmland to the south.
By 2020, the road had been widened and extended further east to connect with a new roundabout.
The farmland to the south of the road had been replaced by a housing estate of about 60 homes.
The primary school had been enlarged and a new sports hall added to its western side.
A small pond that stood at the western edge of the village in 1995 had been filled in and turned into a car park by 2020.
A new supermarket and a row of shops had been built on the eastern edge of the village, next to the roundabout.
A footpath and cycle path had been added, running from the housing estate, past the school, to the new shops.
The area of woodland to the north of the village remained unchanged between 1995 and 2020.

How to structure a map answer

1Paragraph 1: Paraphrase the prompt, stating that the maps show Ashbourne village in 1995 and 2020.
2Paragraph 2 (overview): Summarise the two or three biggest changes, e.g. farmland becoming housing, road expansion, and new commercial development, without giving specific figures yet.
3Paragraph 3: Describe changes in one part of the map in detail (e.g. the southern and western areas: housing estate, pond to car park, school expansion).
4Paragraph 4: Describe changes in the remaining area in detail (e.g. eastern side: road extension, roundabout, shops, cycle path) and note the unchanged woodland.

Band 9 sample answer

196 words

The two maps illustrate how the village of Ashbourne changed between 1995 and 2020, with the original road, school and farmland being significantly redeveloped over this 25-year period.

Overall, the most striking developments were the conversion of farmland into a housing estate and the expansion of the village's infrastructure, including a widened road, a new roundabout and additional commercial buildings. Despite these changes, the woodland to the north of the village remained untouched.

In 1995, a single road ran from east to west through the centre of the village. A primary school stood on the north side of this road, while the land to the south was open farmland. By 2020, this farmland had been completely replaced by a housing estate of around 60 homes. The school itself had also been enlarged, with a new sports hall constructed on its western side. In addition, a small pond that had previously been located at the western edge of the village was filled in and converted into a car park.

On the eastern side of the village, the original road was widened and extended to meet a newly built roundabout. Next to this roundabout, a supermarket and a row of shops were constructed, giving the village a small commercial centre that had not existed in 1995. A footpath and cycle path were also added, linking the new housing estate, the school and the shops. In contrast, the wooded area to the north of the village showed no change at all across the period.

Why this scores Band 9

Covers every point in the figure accurately with no invented or omitted details.
Clear overview identifies the main trends before the detailed paragraphs expand on them.
Wide range of location and change vocabulary used accurately (e.g. 'replaced by', 'to the west of', 'converted into').
Logical paragraphing by geographic area makes the comparison between 1995 and 2020 easy to follow.

Useful language for a map

Phrase	When to use it
was replaced by / gave way to	describing land use change, e.g. farmland becoming housing
to the north/south/east/west of	locating features relative to each other on the map
was widened / extended / constructed	describing changes to roads or new buildings
remained unchanged / stayed the same	highlighting features that did not change between the two maps
converted into	describing one feature being transformed into another, e.g. pond into car park
a newly built / a new addition	introducing structures that did not exist in the earlier map

Common mistakes

Incorrect: Describing the two maps separately in two long paragraphs (all of map 1, then all of map 2) rather than comparing them directly.

Correct: Organise by area or feature and directly compare before and after in the same sentence, e.g. 'The farmland south of the road was replaced by a housing estate.'

Incorrect: Using the present tense throughout, e.g. 'There is a school on the north side.'

Correct: Use past tense consistently since both maps depict past states: 'There was a school on the north side.'

Incorrect: Listing minor, hard-to-verify details instead of focusing on major changes.

Correct: Prioritise the clearest, most significant changes such as new buildings, removed features and infrastructure upgrades.

Frequently asked questions

What tense should I use for a map task showing two time periods?

Use the past simple tense for both maps since they both depict earlier points in time, for example 'In 1995, a school stood on the north side' and 'By 2020, a car park had been built.'

Do I need to mention every single feature on the map?

No, focus on the most significant and clearly identifiable changes; minor or ambiguous details can be omitted to keep the answer clear and well organised.

How should I organise a map answer with many changes?

Group the changes geographically, such as by dividing the site into two areas (for example north/south or east/west), and describe all the changes within each area in one paragraph.

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