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IELTS Writing Task 1 Maps Lesson

Introduction
This guide on IELTS Writing Task 1 maps questions will cover:
o Different kinds of map question
o Structure
o Describing specific changes
o Describing general changes
o Describing locations
o Sample answer
You will also be able to learn some new vocabulary that will help you deal with any Task 1 maps
question.
In the IELTS writing test you might be asked to describe a map in task 1. This type of question is
becoming increasingly popular- in fact it was on the exam last weekend here in Vietnam- and in
my opinion, the easiest one to score high marks in, if youre prepared.
Many students, books and teachers overlook this type of question and it is therefore a bit of a
shock when one comes up. Therefore, if you are prepared you will probably do better than most
of the other students.

Different Kinds of Map Question

There are three main types of map question:
1. Describe one map in the present day.
2. Describe two maps- one in the present and one in the future.
3. Describe two maps- one in the past and one in the present.
The first kind is very rare, as it only requires you to use the present simple and it is impossible
for any comparisons to be made.

The second kind does come up occasionally and would require you to use present and future
tenses. This kind of question is normally about the future development of a town or city. It
requires the same vocabulary as the other two.
The third is the most common and will be the main focus of this post.
You will normally be shown two maps, as above and asked to select and report the main features,
and make comparisons where relevant. You will obviously be using both present and past tenses
to describe the maps and how the town has developed.
Also, as this is a man-made process we will use the passive.

Structure
To describe two maps I advise my students to follow a four paragraph structure.
Paragraph 1- Paraphrase Sentence
Paraphrase question using synonyms.
Paragraph 2- Overview
Make two general statements about the map. You should describe the maps generally and write
about the most noticeable differences between the two maps. You could ask yourself the
following questions to identify general changes. Is the map more or less residential? Is there

more or less countryside? Are there more or less trees? Were the changes dramatic or negligible?
Were there any major improvements in infrastructure? How have the buildings and leisure
facilities changed?
Paragraph 3- Main Body 1
Three to four sentences about specific changes that have occurred.
Paragraph 4- Main Body 2
Further three to four sentences about specific changes that have occurred.
You can group information together in paragraph 3 and 4 by time or location, depending on the
question asked.
Look at the sample answer below to see how I have used this structure.

How to Describe Specific Changes

The ability to describe change is crucial to answering these questions. The various buildings and
features will normally be labelled for you. What you need to work on is how to write about how
they have changed from the past up until the present day.
Tip: You may be asked to describe your hometown in the speaking test. The vocabulary and
grammar in this post should come in very useful.
Below I will list various buildings and features and verbs we could describe their change.
Buildings demolished, knocked-down, flattened, replaced, renovated, built, constructed,
reconstructed, developed, extended, expanded, relocated, converted and modernized.
Examples:
The government demolished the industrial estate and developed a sports ground.
They removed the shops and replaced it with a skyscraper.
A port was constructed at the edge of the river.
The factory in the city centre was demolished and relocated to the north of the city.
The old warehouses were replaced with new hotels.
The factory was converted into apartments.
Tress and Forests- cleared, cut-down, chopped-down, removed, planted.

Examples:
The forest was cut-down and replaced with a shopping centre.
The trees were cleared to make way for houses.
Roads, bridges and railways lines- constructed, built, extended, expanded and removed.
The main road was extended and a new bridge built over the river.
Leisure facilities- opened, set up, developed.
Examples:
A skate park was set up next to the swimming pool.
A park was developed beside the forest.

How to Describe General Changes

As this is an IELTS writing task 1 question we must write an overview and this is where we talk
generally about the main changes that have occurred between the two maps.
Below are some examples of general statements we could use to describe change in towns and
cities.
1. Over the period, the area witnessed dramatic changes.
2. From 1995 to 2005, the city centre saw spectacular developments.
3. The village changed considerable over the time period.
4. During the 10 year period, the industrial area was totally transformed.
5. Over the past 20 years, the residential area was totally reconstructed.
6. Over the time period, the old docks were totally redeveloped.
7. Between 1995 and 2005, the old houses were rebuilt.
8. The central business district was completely modernised during the time period.
Pick two or three of the most noticeable differences in the map and write a general statement for
each. This will be your overview paragraph.
The more specific changes should be included in your main body paragraphs.

How to Describe Locations

You will also be expected to describe where things are maps and describe where changes have
occurred.
You can use to the left and to the right, but a better way is to use north, south, east and
west. I normally advise my students to draw the symbols on the question paper if they are not
already there.
Examples:
The forest to the south of the river was cut down.
A golf course was constructed to the north of the airport.
The houses in the south-west of the town were demolished.
The green fields to the north-west of the city were redeveloped as a park.
The airport in the centre of the city was relocated to the north-east of the river.
The school to the south-east was knocked down and a new one built to the east of the forest.
Finally, you will also be expected to use prepositions of place, e.g.
at/in/on/by/beside/to/off/from, to describe where things are.
Examples:
Dramatic changes took place in the city centre.
To the south of the town, there is a golf course surrounded by trees.
A new school was built next to the swimming pool.
The old road running from north to south was replaced by a new motorway.
A marina was built on the banks of the river.

Sample Answer

Both maps display an island, before and after it was developed for tourism.
The island is approximately 250 metres long, has palm trees dotted around it, is surrounded by
ocean and has a beach to the west. Over the period, the island was completely transformed with
the addition of a hotel and a pier; however the eastern part of the island appears to have been left
undeveloped.
The most noticeable additions are the hotel rooms. 6 buildings, surrounding some trees, have
been built in the west of the island and 9 buildings have been constructed in the centre of the
island. Between the two accommodation areas, a reception building and a restaurant has been
developed.

A pier has also been built on the south coast of the island, allowing yachts access to the resort.
Apart from the trees, the beach remains the only natural feature to remain relatively untouched;
however it does appear that it is now used for swimming.
(160 words)
IELTS Map - Model Task 1 Answer

Below is a Writing Task 1 IELTS map. Below the map is a model answer that has been written
by an IELTS instructor.
When you write about a map, you need to focus on describing where things are in
location to each other.

Language such as 'to the left', 'next to', 'north of', 'behind' etc will be important.

IELTS Map - Writing Task 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
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.

Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main

features and make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.

Map of Brandfield with two proposed sites for a shopping mall

Model Answer

The map illustrates plans for two possible sites for a shopping mall in the city of Brandfield. It
can be seen that the two sites under consideration are in the north and the south east of the town.
The first possible site for the shopping mall, S1, is just north of the city centre, above the railway
line, which runs from the south east of the city to the north west. If it is built here, it will be next
to a large housing estate, thus providing easy access for those living on the estate and in the city
centre. It will also be next to the river, which runs through the town.
The site in the south east, S2, is again just by the railway line and fairly close to the city centre,
but it is near to an industrial estate rather than housing.
There is a main road that runs through the city and is close to both sites, thus providing good
road access to either location. A large golf course and park in the west of the town prevents this
area from being available as a site.
190 words

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ELTS Writing Task 1: map essay

Here is a band 9 answer for this question:

The map shows the growth of a village called Chorleywood between 1868 and 1994.
It is clear that the village grew as the transport infrastructure was improved. Four periods of
development are shown on the map, and each of the populated areas is near to the main roads,
the railway or the motorway.
From 1868 to 1883, Chorleywood covered a small area next to one of the main roads.
Chorleywood Park and Golf Course is now located next to this original village area. The village
grew along the main road to the south between 1883 and 1922, and in 1909 a railway line was
built crossing this area from west to east. Chorleywood station is in this part of the village.
The expansion of Chorleywood continued to the east and west alongside the railway line until
1970. At that time, a motorway was built to the east of the village, and from 1970 to 1994,
further development of the village took place around motorway intersections with the railway
and one of the main roads.
Don't just read this essay once. Spend some time analysing it:

In what order did I describe the information shown on the map?

What information did I choose for paragraphs 3 and 4?

What good vocabulary does the essay contain?

ELTS Task 1 Process

This is another example of an IELTS task 1 process.

This is a fairly simple example so it is good if you are new to processes. In the actual test it is
likely to be a bit more difficult.
The important things to remember when you write about a process are:
1. Use the passive
2. Use time connectors
3. Change the word forms of the vocabulary given in the process
diagram

Here is a lesson on decribing a process if you need more help.

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IELTS Process - Chocolate Production

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The illustrations show how chocolate is produced.

Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and
make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.

IELTS Task 1 Process - Model Answer

The diagram explains the process for the making of chocolate. There are a total of ten stages in
the process, beginning with the growing of the pods on the cacao trees and culminating in the
production of the chocolate.

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To begin, the cocoa comes from the cacao tree, which is grown in the South American and
African continents and the country of Indonesia. Once the pods are ripe and red, they are
harvested and the white cocoa beans are removed. Following a period of fermentation, they are
then laid out on a large tray so they can dry under the sun. Next, they are placed into large sacks
and delivered to the factory. They are then roasted at a temperature of 350 degrees, after which
the beans are crushed and separated from their outer shell. In the final stage, this inner part that is
left is pressed and the chocolate is produced.
(152 Words)

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The diagram illustrates the process that is used to manufacture bricks for the
building industry.
Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make
comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
The Brick Manufacturing Process
IELTS Process Model Answer
The diagram illustrates the way in which bricks are made for the building industry.
Overall, there are seven stages in the process, beginning with the digging up of
clay and culminating in delivery.
To begin, the clay used to make the bricks is dug up from the ground by a large
digger. This clay is then placed onto a metal grid, which is used to break up the
clay into smaller pieces. A roller assists in this process.
Following this, sand and water are added to the clay, and this mixture is turned into
bricks by either placing it into a mould or using a wire cutter. Next, these bricks are
placed in an oven to dry for 2448 hours.
In the subsequent stage, the bricks go through a heating and cooling process. A kiln
heats them at a moderate and then a high temperature (ranging from 200c to
1300c), followed by a cooling process in a chamber for 23 days. Finally, the bri
cks are packed and delivered to their destinations. Words 170

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Writing Task 1 Sample Answer- Process

Question
Here is a band 9 IELTS task 2 sample answer for you about the process of silk production.
In the IELTS writing task 1 you may get one of 7 questions.
1. Bar Chart
2. Line Graph
3. Pie Chart
4. Table
5. Progressive Bar Chart
6. Map
7. Process Diagram
You could also get a combination of these and be asked to compare them.
Today we will look at a process diagram, featuring the life cycle of the silkworm and the
production of silk cloth.
IELTS writing task 1 process diagrams an introduction

The process diagram is in many ways the odd one out in academic task 1 and it requires some
different language from the other task types. This lesson shows you some of the skills you need
to tackle a process diagram. In it, I talk you through some of the difficulties in describing a
process and suggest some basic techniques to help you understand the diagram and write the
description. You will also find a sample task and description.
Reading a process diagram find the beginnings and ends
The first step in learning to write about a process diagram is to see where the process starts and
ends. Sometimes it is evident, frequently it is less so. This is important information as it will help
structure your writing. The obvious thing to do is to start at the beginning and carry on until you
get to the end.

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An example

Where is the beginning here? The customer pays by credit card (item 1). Where is the end? The
merchant receives his money (item 7). We now know part of the structure of our report.
Understand the different stages of the process

The next point is to try and understand how the process works. Typically, there will be some
problem in understanding the diagram: it is not always the case that everything is in a natural
order. The key is to stop and think and look. This is a visual task and you need to look at all the
visual clues. What you are looking for are normally simple things. It is often a good idea to ask
yourself the WH questions.
In the diagram above, we see the following details:

there are 5 parties involved (the pictures) (WHO)

there are 7 stages in the process (the numbers) (HOW MANY)

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some of the arrows point in two different directions this needs to be

explained

item 4 seems to be out of order as it is next to 1

Find a way of organising your description

This is another thinking task. Before you start writing, you want to see if there is some way to
organise your report into paragraphs. This is not absolutely essential but it can help the
organisation of your writing. In the diagram above, there does seem to be a logical solution, as
the process falls in to two parts:
1. the customer receives his goods
2. the merchant gets his money
As this is the case, I am going to do the logical thing and divide my description into
two main paragraphs. One to describe the authorisation process until the customer
gets his/her money and one for the payment process until the merchant is paid.
The introduction and conclusion

This is a key part of your description. What you need to do here is to give the examiner an
overall view of the process. Again, you want to ask yourself questions, such as:

what happens as a result of this process?

is there any change involved?

how many stages are there in this process?

is there one simple process or are there variations within the process?

Typically, you will either write a longer introduction or add a conclusion. You will not
normally need both an extended introduction and conclusion.
The language of the description
Topic language

The process will normally be an everyday event that everyone is familiar with, you should not
need any specialised language. Sometimes, as in this example, you will be given some topic
vocabulary. If you are, be careful of two points:
1. try to vary the language if you can, but dont worry too much if you cant. It
may be that the language you are given is the correct topic language and
there are no, or few, variations

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2. dont copy language incorrectly. If you are given a verb, you may need to
change it into a noun
Sequencing language

Some of the most important language you need is vocabulary to say in what order things happen.
It is important to have some variation here. Some very basic options are:

next

then

after

before

once

Passives

A key grammatical area is very often the passive. We use this when it is not important who
does the action. So, if you have a process diagram showing the making of wine, you may
choose to write:
the grapes are crushed and their stems are removed
Put simply, we make the passive by taking part of the verb to be and adding the 3rd form of the
verb.

IELTS Task 1 Process- Cement and Concrete

Production
Below is a sample band 9 answer to a process task 1 question on concrete production.

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Question The diagrams below show the stages and equipment used in the cement-making
process, and how cement is used to produce concrete for building purposes.
Answer
The diagrams illustrate the phases and apparatus to make cement and how cement is utilised in
the production of concrete for construction.
The production of cement involves a 5 stage, linear process that begins with the mixing of raw
materials and culminates in the packaging of new cement. Making concrete is a simpler process
that involves mixing four ingredients in a concrete mixer.

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Limestone and clay are crushed and the resulting powder is then mixed before being passed
through a rotating heater. Once heated this mixture travels over a conveyor belt and is ground
through a grinder. Now that the cement has been produced, it is packaged and transported to a
building site where it can be used to make concrete.
Concrete is made up of half gravel, quarter sand, 10% water and 15% cement. All of these are
added together in a cylindrical drum and rotated until concrete is yielded.
(151 words)
Advice
The first paragraph simply paraphrases the question. This is done through using synonyms.
The second paragraph gives two overview sentences. An overview gives the examiner an
overall picture of what is happening. You will notice that I have mentioned:

How many stages there are;

How raw materials were used;

If it is linear or cyclical;

what happens in the beginning; and

what is the result.

I have split the overview into two sentences because there are two separate stages.
The third paragraph looks at cement production in much more detail than the overview. The
examiner is looking for your ability to highlight the main features and sequence them effectively.
The fourth paragraph details the process of concrete production. This is a much simpler
process and does not require so much sequencing. There are some percentages so it does allow us
to show the examiner that we can use the language of proportions instead of just repeating all of
the numbers.

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This question is interesting because it has two different stages and this will affect our answer
structure and grammar.
With this kind of question I would use the following structure.
Paragraph 1
Sentence 1- Paraphrase Question
We simply take the question and use synonyms to paraphrase it. The examiner will be looking
for your ability to do this in the exam.
Paragraph 2
Sentence 1- Overview of stage 1
Sentence 2- Overview of stage 2
Write two general things about the diagram. You could include such things as how many stages
there are, the outcomes, the beginning and the end, if it is a natural or man-made process or if the
process is cyclical or linear.
Paragraph 3
Sentence 1- Details of stage 1
Sentence 2- Details of stage 1
Sentence 3- Details of stage 1
Take the general statement you made in paragraph 2 and support them with details from the
diagram. Remember to only use the information you can see in the diagram. Do not draw
conclusions or give your opinion. Repeat with the next paragraph.
Paragraph 4
Sentence 1- Details of stage 2
Sentence 2- Details of stage 2
Sentence 3- Details of stage 2
Grammar- The Passive
When describing any of the chart questions you shouldnt use the passive, but when describing a
process you may have to.

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However, the passive is only used to describe man-made processes. If you are given a natural
process you should use the active, rather than the passive.
Therefore, in this answer I will use the active to describe the life cycle and use the passive to
describe the manufacture of silk.
Sample Answer
The graphic illustrates the life process of the silkworm and the phases in the manufacture of silk
material.
Overall, the lifecycle is a natural process and contains four cyclical phases, beginning with the
laying of eggs and ending with the birth of a new moth from a cocoon. The production of silk is,
in contrast to the previous stage, a man-made linear process comprising of 6 main stages.
To begin with, eggs are produced by the moth and it takes 10 days for the eggs to hatch into
silkworm larvae that feed on mulberry leaves. This stage takes between 4 and 6 weeks before the
worms construct a cocoon from silk thread, taking approximately one week. They stay there for
around a fortnight, subsequently emerging as moths and the process can begin again.
The first stage in the manufacture of silk is the selection of cocoons and these are then boiled.
Once boiled, the silk thread is unwound to a length of between 300 and 900 meters. Finally, the
silk can be twisted and weaved into cloth before being dyed.
(180 words)
IELTS Writing Task 1: Question

Try this process diagram question about the manmade process of hydroelectricity.
The diagram shows how electricity is generated by a hydroelectric dam.
Write a 150-word report for a university lecturer explaining how the process works.

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IELTS Writing Task 1: Model Answer

The diagram illustrates the basic principles of hydroelectric power. The process requires the
construction of a large dam connected to a powerhouse. The dam creates a large reservoir and the
powerhouse is where the electricity is generated.
First of all, water trapped in the reservoir behind the dam is forced through an intake. It then
flows into a narrow chamber called a penstock, where the resulting high pressure turns a
turbine. The turbine is connected to a generator in the powerhouse above, and this is where the
movement of the turbine is converted into electricity. The resulting electricity leaves the
powerhouse via cables that carry it over long distances to where it can be used.
It is interesting to note that a hydroelectric dam creates no harmful byproducts and relies entirely
on natural forces to produce electricity. After the turbine stage, water flows out through a second
channel and into a river. The process is renewable, thanks to the water cycle in nature.
(163 words, IELTS 8.0)

Why does this Task 1 answer get an IELTS Band 8 score?

Task achievement: The introduction paraphrases the question and describes the constituent parts
of the process. The body describes each stage of the process in sequence.

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Coherence and cohesion: The model answer has an introduction, body and conclusion.
Sequencing expressions such as first of all, then and after are used appropriately. The articles a
and the are used effectively to introduce and refer back to different elements of the process.
Lexical resource: The labels in the diagram are well integrated into the model answer and
appropriate verbs such as converted, flows and leaves are used throughout. Less-common words
such as byproducts and renewable are introduced by the writer. Spelling is always accurate.
Grammatical range and accuracy: The writer uses the present simple tense and has good
control of subject-verb agreement and active/passive forms. A good balance of simple and
complex sentences is used throughout.

Teachers Notes

This IELTS Writing Task 1 question asks you to describe a process. Usually the process diagram
will include some technical vocabulary. The challenge is how well you can integrate the
vocabulary into a coherent report. The examiner is also looking at how you use sequencing
expressions to show the order of events. Finally, remember that most processes happen at any
time, so use only the present simple tense.