Write your own answer first20 minutes and at least 150 words, like the real test. Use the editor below, then compare with the Band 8 model answer.
Map questions usually show how a place changed between two dates (a village, a campus, a town centre), or occasionally a plan for the future. Instead of numbers you need location language (in the north-west, to the east of) and change language in the passive (has been replaced by, was demolished). Here’s the structure, a practice question, a Band 8 model answer and the vocabulary.
How Task 1 is marked#
You have 20 minutes and must write at least 150 words. Task 1 is worth one third of your Writing score, and is marked on four criteria: Task Achievement (an accurate overview and key features), Coherence and Cohesion (logical grouping and linking), Lexical Resource (precise vocabulary) and Grammatical Range and Accuracy.
The 4-paragraph structure for a map#
| Paragraph | What to write | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Introduction | Paraphrase the question in one sentence: what, where, when. | 1 sentence |
| 2. Overview | The 2–3 most important features, with no numbers. | 2 sentences |
| 3. Body 1 | The first group of details, with figures and comparisons. | 3–4 sentences |
| 4. Body 2 | The second group of details. | 3–4 sentences |
How to describe a map#
- Compare the two maps and list what changed and what stayed the same. Both matter: the overview often mentions what did not change.
- Decide the general direction of change: more developed, more residential, less green, better transport? That’s your overview.
- Organise by area (north and south, or east and west), not by type of change. This keeps the description easy to follow.
- Choose the tense from the dates: past to present → present perfect passive (has been built); two past dates → past simple passive (was built); future plans → will be built / is planned.
Practice question#
The maps below show the village of Ashby in 2000 and today.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
2000
Today
Dashed outline: new since the first map
This diagram was created for practice, in the style of real IELTS Task 1 questions.
Essay practice editor
Model answer (Band 8 style)
Write your own answer first, then compare structure and vocabulary. Task 1 (Academic): maps · 171 words.
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The maps show the changes that have taken place in the village of Ashby between 2000 and the present day.
Overall, Ashby has become much more developed, with new housing, shopping facilities and transport links replacing much of its farmland and forest. However, the original houses and the main road through the village have remained unchanged.
The most noticeable changes have occurred in the north of the village. The farmland that once covered the north-west has been replaced by a large housing estate, and a new road has been built along the northern edge of the village. To the east, the shop has been demolished and a park has been created in its place.
In the south, most of the forest has been cleared to make way for a supermarket with a car park, although some trees remain in the south-east corner. The school has been extended, and a bridge has been constructed across the river, linking the main road with the area to the south of the village.
Overview: direction of change + what stayed
“Much more developed”, plus the houses and main road “have remained unchanged”.
Organised by area
One paragraph for the north, one for the south, so the reader can follow the map.
Present perfect passive
*has been replaced by*, *has been built*, *has been demolished*, *has been extended*: the right tense for 2000 → today.
Precise location language
*in the north-west*, *along the northern edge*, *to the east*, *in the south-east corner*, *across the river*.
Want your own writing scored? With Worddemy Pro, paste it into the app and get a band score with feedback on all four criteria.
Useful language for maps#
| Purpose | Words and phrases |
|---|---|
| Location | in the north / south-east · to the west of · next to · opposite · along · across · in the centre of |
| Building and adding | has been built / constructed / erected · has been added · a new… has appeared |
| Removing | has been demolished / knocked down / removed · has been cleared (trees, forest) |
| Changing | has been replaced by · has been converted into · has been extended / expanded · to make way for |
| No change | remained unchanged · stayed the same · is still located in |
Common mistakes#
- Describing map 1 fully, then map 2 fully. Describe changes area by area instead.
- Using the active voice (“They built a bridge”). Use the passive: a bridge has been built.
- Wrong tense for the dates. 2000 → today needs the present perfect; 1990 → 2010 needs the past simple.
- Vague locations (“on the left of the map”). Use compass directions.
More Task 1 guides#
Each guide has a practice question, a 20-minute editor and a Band 8 model answer:
New to Task 1? Start with the complete IELTS Writing Task 1 guide, and learn how to describe trends and choose the right tense.