IELTS Academic Writing Task 1: three maps with changes; with vocabulary practice, bonus tips and model answer

December 29, 2018May 31, 2023

This IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 post can help you write a great answer for the Task 1 questions with maps. In this post, we will look at three maps of the same area with some changes happening at different times. The post will also help you learn some vocabularies which are important to describe locations and changes in a place. You will find a model answer for the given question at the end of the lesson with bonus tips.

When describing maps in IELTS Writing Task 1, the biggest mistake that low scorers in the Writing module do is that they write some simple sentences to show what every picture shows. Often they use phrases like ‘there is’ or ‘there are’. They also use some familiar words over and over again. A plane or simple answer always affects the answer badly. Organization also plays an important role here. Good paragraphing is as essential as a good response. Candidates must also be attentive to the task achievement (what the question asks you to answer). Being aware of these facts can improve the score in writing.

Vocabulary for describing maps:

To describe changes in a map, here are some vocabularies that you can try to practice with.

Words	Synonyms	Example sentence
converted	transformed, changed, renewed, transmuted, altered,	The building was converted into a shopping center.
renovated	repaired, restored, mended, rebuilt,	The government has recently renovated the old Public Hall.
constructed	built, made, erected, assembled,	A new shopping mall was constructed near the Main Road.
reorganized	restructured, updated, modernized, rearranged	The plan to build the city center has been reorganized by the committee.
connected	linked, interconnected, interrelated,	A steel bridge connected the two sides of the town.
increased	augmented, enlarged, improved, expanded,	The car park increased in size.
decreased	diminished, declined, reduced,	The café decreased in size.
named	entitled, termed, called,	The tower was named ‘the Lambard Tower’ after Professor Rick Lambard.
located	situated, placed, positioned,	The stadium is located near the bus station.
demolished	destroyed, smashed, damaged, wrecked,	The parking was demolished to give way to the hospital.
cleared	cut-down, removed,	The small bushes near the shops were cleared.
witnessed	saw, observed, experienced,	The city witnessed a massive change.
massive	huge, humongous, gigantic, immense, colossal,	The city witnessed a massive change.
proposed	planned, projected, suggested,	Some major changes have been proposed on the map of 2040.
surrounding	adjacent, adjoining, close, nearby,	The surrounding areas also observed a humongous change.
untouched	unchanged, unaffected,	The left portion of the field was left untouched.

Important note:

The description of the maps is mostly in the passive voice as the changes are man-made. So, you must have a clear understanding of how active and passive voice work.

Now, let’s look at a sample question.

The maps below show the changes that have taken place at Forton Valley City since its construction in 1990.

Model answer:

The maps portray Forton Valley City at three different stages in its development: 1990, 2000, and 2010. Overall, a major renovation took place in the area over two decades.

In 1990, Forton Valley City, which was located to the south of Sheffield Road, was divided into two parts, the eastern part, and the western part, as Daisy Road went through the city. The western side had a shopping center and big farmland while the eastern side had a large city hall and a kindergarten school with a big round park behind it.

In 2000, some minor changes took place in the city. The eastern half of the farmland was converted into a dairy farm whereas both the city hall and the round park declined in size. Moreover, the city authority built a small car park on the south side of the city hall.

In 2010, more improvements were made. The farmland and the dairy farm had been transformed into a playground and K.G. School respectively. A small toy shop was also included beside the school, and the eastern side experienced a massive transformation as both city hall and K.G. School were replaced with Public Library and Forton University respectively. Also, another car park had been added to the old one. Additionally, a Varsity Café was constructed with the university building.

(214 words)

Bonus tips:

Use of synonyms:

The use of synonyms can make a major difference in earning a great band score. So, try to use synonyms as much as possible and avoid repeating the same words. However, you don’t need to be too worried about repeated articles and prepositions. They will appear often in your writing. Follow some 8.0-9.0 band answers and observe carefully how many articles and prepositions have been repeated.