IELTS Writing Task 1 Maps: The perfect format

Sometimes we get two or three maps in IELTS Writing Task 1 Map questions in order to describe the changes between the maps.

These maps normally are either layouts of towns and villages or designs of parks and similar structures.

You will never get a single map to analyze. There will always be either two or three maps belonging to different time periods. You have to figure out and report on the changes between the maps to get you closer to your dream of studying abroad courses.

Analysis of IELTS Writing Task 1 Maps

Look at a sample IELTS Writing Task 1 question below.

WRITING TASK 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The maps below show the center of a small town called Birshire as it is now, and plans for its development. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Write at least 150 words.

Birshire (present)

Birshire (future plans)

How to describe a map in IELTS Writing Task 1?

The following are the changes that can occur between maps.

1. addition: A new structure not present in the old map may be seen in the next map. This means construction of a new feature. For example, in the maps above, you can see items like a supermarket and a sports center will have been built in the future.
2. removal: Old structures may be demolished and erased from the map. In Birshire, you can see that the farms and the farmer’s market will be removed.
3. expansion: Some items may be extended to make them bigger. For an instance, the housing area and the Corbie Road will have been expanded in the future.
4. downsizing: Opposite to expansion, some structures may be reduced in size when comparing two maps.
5. replacement: On occasions, you will notice that some features from the older map may be absent from the newer one with some other feature in its place. If you look at the maps above, you will find that the Hoolahan Farm will have been replaced by a car park, while the shops will have been replaced by houses.
6. shifting: Items can also be moved from one location in the map to another.

IELTS Writing Task 1 Map Questions: Locating places in a map

Describing the alterations and modifications in the maps is one aspect, but we also need to give details of where those changes have occurred.

1. top / bottom: If directions have not been given, then mention whether the places in the map are at the top or at the bottom.
2. left / right: Similarly, in the absence of directions, include whether the places are on the left-hand side or the right-hand side.
3. beside: When two items are very close to each other, they can be said to be beside each other. Apart from beside, we can also use words like alongside, next to, nearby, or adjacent to.
4. opposite: Places which are facing each other can be said to be opposite or in front of each other.
5. north / south / east / west / northeast / southeast / northwest / southwest: Some maps include a compass rose. In such cases, locate places using directions instead of simply top, bottom, left, or right. Sometimes only one direction, usually North, is given. You have to work out the other directions by yourself.

Overview for IELTS Writing Task 1 Maps

According to IELTS Writing Evaluation guidelines, you need to write an overview or summary of the changes you see between the maps. You need to write just two sentences and nothing more.

1. Describe the biggest change in a short sentence.

IELTS Writing Task 1 Maps Sample answer 1

WRITING TASK 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The maps below show the center of a small town called Birshire as it is now, and plans for its development. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Write at least 150 words.

Birshire (present)

Birshire (future plans)

Sample answer:

The given maps describe the changes which have been planned for the town of Birshire. In summary, Birshire will have undergone a drastic transformation from a rural town into an urbanized area in the future with new infrastructures like roads, a car park, and a supermarket. First and foremost, all the farms from Birshire will have been removed in the days to come. Griffiths Farm, which is in the top right corner of the map, will have been replaced by a supermarket, whereas Hoolahan Farm, which is currently on the right side of McGoldrick Road, will make way for a parking lot. Moreover, the Farmer’s Market, which is beside Corbie Road, will no longer be there in the future. Furthermore, apart from the addition of a roundabout at the junction of McGoldrick Road and That Street, Corbie Road will be extended beyond That Street. The open field at the bottom right of the map will be the venue for the construction of a Sports Center. Together with the removal of the shops from the the bottom left, more houses will have been erected.

Passive voice for IELTS Writing Task 1 Maps

It is advisable you use passive voices in the perfect aspect of tenses to comment on the amendments in the maps.

If the maps are of a past date, use the past perfect tense in the passive form.

Format	Example
subject + had been + past participle	The health post had been replaced by a hospital. The area for farming had been decreased.

If the maps set out the changes till today, then use the passive form of the present perfect tense.

Format	Example
subject + has/have + been + past participle	The highway, which goes from east to west, has been expanded. The trees in the park have been cut down.

For maps which deal will future changes, apply the future perfect tense in the passive voice.

Format	Example
subject + will have + past participle	The street will have been elongated in the future. A new shopping center will have been built in the town center.

IELTS Writing Task 1 Map Tips: Relative clauses

A clause is a group of words with a subject and a predicate. A relative clause is a clause which uses relative pronouns like who, which, and that.

Relative clauses can be used to either define a noun or add information about the noun.

Consider the following examples:

The playground, which is in the middle of the park, has been downsized.

The branch manager who meets all the company goals will be promoted.

The sculpture, which was built in 2014, has been vandalized by thugs.

The underlined parts in the above examples are relative clauses. If they are removed from sentences, the sentences might still be grammatically correct, but they will lose some information.

Relative clauses make sentences complex, thereby boosting the chance of scoring high in IELTS Writing.

IELTS Writing Task 1 Maps Sample answer 2

WRITING TASK 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The plans below show the layout of a public park in 1990 and in 2020. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Write at least 150 words.

Central Park, 1990

Central Park, 2020

Sample answer:

The plans shed light on the changes which had occurred in Central Park between 1990 and 2020. To summarize, although the basic layout of Central Park was the same, the park had been modernized over the 30 years with the addition of a museum, a stage, and a cafe. The entrance to the park had been shifted from the southern side to the eastern side. The Krishna temple in the northwest of the park, the Buddha statue in the middle, and the Koi pond in the southeastern corner had remained untouched over the three decades. Nevertheless, the flower garden, which was the major feature of the park in the northern side, had been downsized. Adjacent to it, a stage for programs had been constructed. The toilet had been relocated from the northeastern corner of the park to the southwestern corner. In the former place, a museum had been built. Children’s play area, which was another major attraction in the park in the western end, had been reduced in size. The telephone booth and one of the shops, both from the southern side, had been removed. A cafe had been installed in the same area.

Next lesson:

IELTS Essay Format: Solving Writing Task 2 Easily

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