Describing Map: IELTS

Writing Task 1
Ana Zahida, S.S., M.A.
 Three main types of map questions
 Describe one map in the present day. Example:
 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.
Three main types of map questions

 Describe two maps-

one in the present
and one in the future.
 Three main types of map
questions
Describe two maps: one in the
past and one in the present,
or two maps in the past, or
three maps.
 The map below shows the
development of the village of
Ryemouth between 1995 and
present.
 Summarize the information by
selecting and reporting the main
features and make comparisons
where relevant.
 Write at least 150 words.
Step 1 – Analyse the Task 1 Map
Question
List the Items based on
the followings

 Same –  Analysing the question

 Gone (replaced by) – is much like spot the
difference puzzles where
 Changed – we find which things in
 New – each map are the same
and which are different.
Practice of Analyzing Map

 Same: road
 Gone (replaced by): farm (new
building and extended car park)
 Changed: first building is for
outpatients
 New: roundabouts and roads,
ambulance entrance
Analyze this map!

 Same –
 Gone (replaced
by) –
 Changed –
 New –
Analyze this map!

 Same: restrooms,
romance, thriller,
entrance
 Gone (replaced by): N/A
 Changed: fantasy,
mystery, seating, main
area, kid’s books
 New: extension,
computer room, kids
area, kid’s seating,
staffroom, store, staff
entrance, kids’ area
entrance
Analyze this map!

 Same –
 Gone (replaced
by) –
 Changed –
 New –
Analyze this map!

 Same: 5
houses, police,
school, post,
windmill
 Gone (replaced
by): forest
(high road with
houses), shop
(supermarket),
farm (petrol
station)
 Changed: N/A
 New: dam, cafe
Step 2: Writing the Paraphrase

Sample Paraphrase
 The maps display the
centre of a small
town based on how it
was in 1962 and its
current appearance.
 Choosing The Best
Introduction
1. The maps below show the village of Bakewell in 1985 and 2005.
 a) The map reveals the changes over a 20-year period in the village of Bakewell.
 b) The maps reveal changes over a 20-year period in the village of Bakewell.
 c) The maps below reveal changes over a 20-year period in the village of Bakewell.
2. The two maps below show an island before and after the construction of tourist
facilities.
 a) The maps present the plan of an island both before and after tourism development took place.
 b) The maps present the plan of an island at two different times.
 c) The pictures present the plan of an island both before and after tourism development took place.
3. The maps show how Northwood village and Peakside village have developed over three
different periods, 1965, 1985 and the present day.
 a) The maps show how two villages have developed over three different periods.
 b) The maps illustrate the changes that have occurred in two villages, Northwood and Peakside,
over a roughly 50 year period.
 c) The maps illustrate the changes that have occured in two villages, Northwood and Peakside,
from 1965 to the present.
 Map Overview Typically Contains:

A general description of A general description of

the maps. the changes.
 Describe any significant  To describe the general changes,
features that are in both maps. we can say things like;
 This could be the shape, the  The area is more built up.
size, a central feature or a road  There is an increase/decrease in the
that runs through the map. size of the natural area/industrial
 Just make sure that the area/residential area/commercial
description is accurate for both area/retail area.
maps.  There are more/fewer
industrial/residential/commercial/ret
ail buildings.
How to Describe General Changes

 Over the period, the area witnessed dramatic changes.

 From 1995 to 2005, the city centre saw spectacular developments.
 The village changed considerably over the time period.
 During the 10 year period, the industrial area was totally
transformed.
 Over the past 20 years, the residential area was totally
reconstructed.
 Over the time period, the old docks were totally redeveloped.
 Between 1995 and 2005, the old houses were rebuilt.
 The central business district was completely modernised during the
time period.
Overview Practice

 1. The maps illustrate a change

from a mainly …..to a largely …..
area.

2. The maps reveal development from

a mainly…. to a largely ……area.
Overview Practice

5. The maps reveal a change from a

mainly low-rise….town to a largely
….area.

6. The maps illustrate a

transformation from …… into…….
 Grammar Tenses
 Present simple is used to describe the things that
stayed the same.
 For example, ‘the post office is still in place.’
 Present continuous is used to describe what the
buildings are doing. For example, ‘the houses are still
standing.’
Present perfect is used to describe changes between
the past year (ex: 1983) and now. For example, ‘the
school has remained unchanged.’
 Passive structures, yet again, are necessary. For
example, ‘a dam has been constructed.‘
 How to Describe Locations
Prepositions of place:
at/in/on/by/beside/to/of/from/n
ear, across from, adjacent to,
Cardinal directions: along, over
 The forest to the south of the river was  Dramatic changes took place in
completely cut down. the village centre.
 A school was constructed to the north-east of the  To the south of the town, there is
station. a recreational park surrounded
 The houses in the south-west of the town were by trees.
demolished to make space for the new car park.  A new playground was built next
 The green fields to the south-west of the hospital to the swimming pool.
were redeveloped as a park.
 The old road running from north to
 The airport in the centre of the city was relocated south was replaced by a brand new
to the north-east of the river. motorway.
 The school to the south-east was knocked down  A completely new marina was built
and a new one was built to the north of the forest.
on the river banks.

Useful Vocabularies for
Describing Maps
 Describing Specific Changes
 Buildings– demolished, knocked-down, flattened,  Developed into: the industrial estate was
replaced, renovated, built, constructed, reconstructed, demolished and developed into a sports ground
developed, extended, expanded, relocated, converted and by the local community.
modernized.  Extended: The school was extended by adding 2
 Examples: more buildings.
  Expanded: The residential area expanded south-
The industrial estate was demolished and a sports ground
was developed. east by constructing 3 more homes.
 Relocated to: The factory in the city centre was
 Knocked-down: The shops were knocked-down and
flattened and relocated to the north of the city.
replaced with a skyscraper.
 Converted into: The factory was converted into
 Flattened: The factory in the city centre was flattened apartments.
and relocated to the north of the city.
 Modernized: The infrastructure was modernized by
 Replaced with: The old warehouses were replaced with converting the dirt roads into concrete streets.
new hotels.
 The shops were removed and replaced with a
 Renovated: The old buildings were completely renovated. skyscraper.
 Built: A new factory was built north of the residential area.  A port was constructed at the edge of the river.
 Constructed: A harbor was constructed at the edge of  The factory in the city centre was demolished and
the river. relocated to the north of the city.
 Reconstructed: The school was completely  The old warehouses were replaced with new hotels.
reconstructed after the passing of the hurricane.
 Describing Specific Changes
 Trees and Forests- cleared, cut-down, chopped-  Constructed: A new railroad was
down, removed, planted. constructed next to the village.

  Built: A new bridge was built to replace the

Examples:
old one.
 Cleared: The trees were cleared to make way for  Extended: The main road was extended and
a new residential area. a new bridge built over the river.
 Cut-down: The forest was cut-down and made  Expanded to: The main road was expanded
space for a shopping centre. to the north to connect to the other town.
 Chopped-down: The forest was entirely chopped-  Removed: The railway lines were removed
down to make way for a new highway. and replaced by a metro line.
 Removed: Some of the trees were removed to  Leisure facilities- opened, set up,
build a new playground. developed.
 Examples:
 Planted: A new forest was planted west of the
factory  Opened: A brand new sports centre opened
just north of the school.
 Roads, bridges and railways lines-
 Set up: A brand new skate park was set up
constructed, built, extended, expanded and
close to the swimming pool.
removed. Examples:
 Developed: A playground was developed
 Vocabulary for describing change over time
 Examples:
 Over the 20 year period, the area has
 witnessed big changes especially to the farmland
When describing change, the
areas which were redeveloped.
present perfect and the present
perfect passive is often used.  From 1990 to 2010, a new housing estate was
 Time phrases are also used such as:
constructed where a school once stood.
over the 20 year period, from  The forest and green spaces have been
1990 to 2000, over the years, in profoundly affected over the two decades and
the last 10 years, in the years were replaced by housing.
after 1990 and so on.
 In the period from 1990 onward, the leisure
 The present perfect and The facilities were completely renovated.
present perfect passive shows
that something started in the  The city centre has seen dramatic changes over
past up until the present the years.
moment (or near present)  In the years after 1990, the city centre was
 Examples: has witnessed big extensively modernised.
changes / has become more  The town used to be very green, but it has
industrialised / has been built/ become much more industrialized in the last
has been modernised
 MAP VOCABULARY: AREAS
1. A.....area is defined as an area of countryside consisting
of villages and farms.
 Tourist, natural, 2. An……district is a district which consists of factories
high-rise, and warehouses.
urban, 3. An…….area is an area which contains bars, restaurants,
cinemas and live music venues.
commercial,
4. A…….area is an area in which people live.
residential,
industrial, 5. An……district is one which is full of buildings, for
example, a town or city.
entertainment,
6. A…..area is an area which contains facilities for visitors.
financial, rural
7. A…..district is a district in which can be found shops
and malls.
8. A…..area is an area of the city where banks and
services and businesses connected to money can be
found.
9. A…..area is an area which is unaffected by people.
10.A…..district is a district which consists of tall buildings.
 Other Useful Vocabularies
Landscape City / town
 Community greens: Shared open green spaces in
residential neighborhoods.
 Bay: small sea
 Green belt: A policy used in urban planning to retain a
 Archipelago: a group of islands “belt” of the natural environment around urban areas.
 Bog: wet spongy ground, swamp  Greenfield land: Untouched and pristine land. Fields
and forests.
 Canal: man made navigable water way
 Greyfield land: Buildings or real estate land that is
 Canyon: deep, narrow valley with steep sides, carved by a river economically useless. Disused car parks or abandoned
factories.
 Hedge: row of shrubs forming a boundary
 Grid plan: A plan in the shape of a grid.
 Moor: open land on hills with shrubs, heath
 Pavement / sidewalk: The part of the street dedicated
 Strait: narrow waterway connecting two large bodies of water to just pedestrians.
 Stream: very small river  Roundabout: circular intersection for leaving and
entering other roadways.
 Summit: highest point of a mountain  Roadside: The side of the road. At the roadside there
 Tide: rise and fall of sea level are three retailers.
  Zone of transition: An area that is moving from one
Tributary: stream leading to a bigger river
status to another. The area between the city centre
 Valley: long depression between two hills and the green belt.
Direction
 1. North
 2. Northeast
 3. East
 4. Southeast
 5. South
 6. Southwest
 7. West
 8. Northwest
Locating Place

 1. The shop is to the south of the park.

 2. The train station is to the northeast of the
shop.
 3. The train station is to the north of the river.
 4. The farm is to the south of the park.
 5. The park is to the northwest of the school.
 6. Where is the river? The river runs from the
west to
 the east of the town.
 7. Where is the train line? The train line
 runs from the north to the south of the
town.
Locating Place
 1. The car park is in the western
part of town.
 2. The school is in the southeastern
part of the town.
 3. The park is in the northwestern
part
 of town.
 4. The farm is in the southern part
 of the town.
 5. The train station is in the
northeastern part of the town.
 6. The shop is in the central part of
the town
 Choosing The Best Introduction
1. The maps below show the village of Bakewell in 1985 and 2005.
 a) The map reveals the changes over a 20-year period in the village of Bakewell.
 b) The maps reveal changes over a 20-year period in the village of Bakewell.
 c) The maps below reveal changes over a 20-year period in the village of Bakewell.
2. The two maps below show an island before and after the construction of tourist facilities.
 a) The maps present the plan of an island both before and after tourism development took
place.
 b) The maps present the plan of an island at two different times.
 c) The pictures present the plan of an island both before and after tourism development
took place.
3. The maps show how Northwood village and Peakside village have developed over three
different periods, 1965, 1985 and the present day.
 a) The maps show how two villages have developed over three different periods.
 b) The maps illustrate the changes that have occurred in two villages, Northwood and
Peakside, over a roughly 50 year period.
 c) The maps illustrate the changes that have occured in two villages, Northwood and
Peakside, from 1965 to the present.
 The maps show the changes in the
village of Wells-on-the-Water in the
UK between 1985 and 2010.

 The maps reveal developments in the British village of Wells-on-the-Water over a 25-year period. Overall,
it is clear that Wells-on-the-Water developed from a small, agricultural village to a larger and more
commercial settlement.
 The most notable development was that the forest north of Woods Drive was cleared and replaced with a
new commercial area. A new access road, Queen’s Drive, was constructed which connected Woods Drive
to the area north east of the village. New shops were constructed along both Woods Drive and Queen’s
Drive. In the south of the village, Mansion Lane was extended and a bridge was built allowing access
across the river. New houses were constructed on both sides of Mansion Lane. All of this construction
seriously reduced the amount of farmland around the village. The old farm house and the post office at the
western end of Mansion Lane were demolished and replaced with a park. The post office was relocated to
one of the new buildings on Queen’s Drive.
 The largest building in the village in both years was the mansion. However, by 2010 it had been converted
into a care home. Likewise, the old factory was converted into luxury flats. Only Mansion Gardens
remained unchanged throughout the period. (204 words)
 The two maps show how Coco island appears
today and how it is predicted to appear after
development takes place over the next 5 years.
It is clear that the currently uninhabited island
will undergo many changes in order to make it
into a resort island suitable for tourists.

Starting in the south of the island, a pier will be

constructed, allowing passengers to easily
access the island from boats. Immediately north
of the dock but still close to the southern coast,
the hotel reception will be situated in a large
building. On the northern coast of the island the
hotel restaurant will be built, affording ocean
views for diners.

Visitors to the resort will stay in villas situated in

either the east or the west of the island. Those in
the west will be in beach villas, which will be
close to the islands only swimming beach. Those
located in the east are to be constructed around
an area of palm trees. All of the planned
The maps below show Coco Island as it is
buildings will be connected by footpaths.
now and plans for how it will be developed
over the next 5 years.
The diagrams below show the coastal village of
Seaville in 1980 and 2010. Summarise the
information by selecting and reporting the main
features and make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
 Model Essay
The maps illustrate significant changes in the seaside
town of Seaville, over a thirty-year period, from 1980 to
2010.
Overall, the village developed substantially from
a holiday settlement to a permanent town over the 30
year period.
Similarly, infrastructure and amenities increased,
along with the town’s capacity to provide for tourists.
In 1980, Seaville was tiny, attracting only a few tourists,
who were accommodated in cottages or a small hotel. In
contrast, East Bank was unspoilt. To the east of the
cottages, was a marsh, and there was woodland to the
north. Regarding recreation, besides the beach, the town
only offered a tea room.
However, the village had grown dramatically by 2010.
Retirement villages had been built to the west of the
main road. The marsh had been drained and the cottages
demolished in order to construct houses. To cater for
tourists, both a new high-rise hotel and holiday cottages
on East Bank had been constructed. The woodlands had
been cleared and supplanted by a golf course. Similarly,
a boat club had been built on the west bank of the
river. New infrastructure was created to access East
The diagram below shows the development
of a particular area between 1965 and the
present day.
 Model Answer

 The two maps describe an area before and after some developments
from 1965 to now.
 As can be seen from the plans, the most notable change taking place
in the area is the construction of a road bridge, which replaces the
ferry.
 On the northern side of the road bridge, the forest on the left
riverside has been cleared to make way for a large new car park.
There is also a small car park which was built on the other side of the
river and this car park can be accessed from the main road via a
small path. Many houses and apartments were constructed around
the car park.
 To the south of the bridge, more houses were also built along the
main road. Apart from these buildings, there are several changes
which are expected to take place by 2018. These developments
include a foot bridge which runs parallel to the main road, a yatch
marina and a small car park. (162 words)
The diagrams show how the layout of a
school library changed
 Model Answer

 The diagrams illustrate how the layout of a school library changed over a
period of five years.
 Overall, significant changes have been made in terms of the library’s interior
design, especially on the western side of the library.
 A recording studio has been constructed to replace the classroom area. While
the meeting room remains in the same place after five years, the space for
the borrowing and returning desk has been separated into 2 different rooms.
 In the center of the library, more private studying tables have been set up for
students to study. Additionally, there were two areas for book shelves in the
north and south of the library five years ago; however, the one in the south as
well as the desk for computers on the eastern side of the room has been
converted into desks for student’s laptops. Next to this it can be seen that
the library office has been removed to make way for a new conference room.
(163 words)