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
you’re 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 questions:
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 no comparisons can be made.
The second kind occasionally comes up and requires 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 use 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, It is advised to 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 fewer trees? Were the
changes dramatic or negligible? Were there any major infrastructure improvements? 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.
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You can group information in paragraphs 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. You need to work on 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.

Below I will list various buildings, features, and verbs we could use to 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 them 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 city’s north.
The old warehouses were replaced with new hotels.
The factory was converted into apartments.
Trees 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 was 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, where we generally talk about the main changes
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 considerably over the 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 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 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 southwest of the town were demolished.
The green fields to the city’s northwest were redeveloped as a park.
The airport in the city’s centre was relocated to the northeast of the river.
The school to the southeast was knocked down and a new one was built to the east of the forest.

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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 town’s south 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.
Vocabulary for IELTS Academic Writing Map Questions
When describing the location of something on a map, you can use the following phrases and vocabulary:
Phrases and vocabulary Example sentences

to the north of/north of The marsh is north of the hotel = The marsh is to the north
of the hotel.
to the south of/ south of The hotel is to the south of the marsh = The hotel is south
of the marsh
to the east of/ east of The forest to the east of the river was completely cut down. =
The forest east of the river was completely cut down.

to the west of/ west of The factory to the west of the school was flattened and
relocated. = The factory west of the school was flattened and
relocated.

north east of / to the north east of The sand dunes are north east of the tea room.
north west of / to the north west of The industrial area to the south west of the station was
south east of / to the south east of expanded.
south west of / to the south west of The shopping centre is relocated to the south west of the
town, which has a population of 50,000.

in the west Most of the town’s buildings are concentrated in the north.
in the east There were many shops in the east.
in the north
in the south

on the south side of Shops on the south side of the current main road will be
on the north side of maintained in the future.
on the east side of The trees on the east side of the river were cut down and a
on the west side of new office block was built.
The shops along the north side of the new pedestrian street
will be demolished to make way for a bus station.

Northern The house faces northwest.

Southern The northern area is rarely countryside, while
Eastern the southern area is filled with houses.
Western There is a school at the end of the fork road in the southwest
Southeast corner and a park in the southeast area.
Northeast Most factories are located on the northeast side of the town.
Southwest
Northwest

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IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 Maps Lesson

Model Essay:
Important functional words are highlighted in red
Useful vocabulary and phrases are highlighted in green
Synonyms and topic vocabulary are highlighted in blue
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 Bank.
On the other hand, the town had preserved the original hotel.

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Question 1 Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make
comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.

A systematic analysis of the transformation of

Paradise island is portrayed in the given maps.
Overall, the island has changed into a well-
facilitated tourist destination. The only
establishment in the island in the past was a
scientific research station, which was accessed
via water at the West. A pier was located in the
West, which allowed visitors from boats and a
beach was there towards the Northwest of the
island. Towards the East, there existed a
natural spring and at the Northeast, some
rocks.
The most visible change is the transformation
of the research station to a hotel with
swimming pool access towards its North. The
pier at the West is seen developed to allow
passengers from a cruise ship to embark and
disembark. Towards the East of the hotel, an
open restaurant is started with BBQ facility and
towards further East, a cafe is set up. A scenic
lookout is arranged at the rocks in the North
east. Swimming is now permitted in the beach.
Another development is the cycle path, which
is connected to all these facilities.

Question 2 Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make
comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.

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 The Two maps show radical changes that
Happy Valley Shopping Centre underwent
during the period between 1982 and 2012.
Overall, it is clear that the redevelopment
resulted in expansion of the shopping mall
and re-arrangement of its in-house facilities.

By 2021, the indoor shopping area spread to

the west, and the outdoor lake was replaced
by furniture retailer. Additionally,
considerable changes were made to the
north-west part where a coffee shop was
removed and an adjacent food store was
relocated to the south-east corner of the
mall. Two stores selling sports and electronic
goods took over the previous locations
among the northern wall. A linear array of
themed restaurants moved in along the
eastern corner of the shopping mall, replacing
sports and electronic shops. On the western
side, the lobby area at the main entrance was
removed to allow for bigger central
entertainment area.
Yet another alteration was made outside,
where a path leading to the main entrance
was removed and instead a spacious car park
was built. The entrance, however, was kept in
the same locations and the lines of trees
surrounding the shopping center remained
largely unchanged where possible.

Question 3 Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make
comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.

The given maps illustrate changes in the layout of Flexitone in the UK from 1967 to 2001.
Overall, several large changes were made to the town throughout the years, including the addition of new tourism facilities,
and the removal of previous industry and infrastructure.
In 1967, there was a large farming area located behind the shops to the east of High Street. By 2001, this area had been
completely redeveloped and replaced by a new hotel with a swimming pool and tennis courts. The land in front of this new
hotel on the beachside, previously a fish market, was now a private beach.
A large marina and pier once stood on the seafront of this town, however this was removed and replaced with a public beach.
Other changes to the area include a wind turbine facility located to the south of the dunes, and the addition of a car park
facility to the hotel located along the beachfront.

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Question 4 Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make
comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.

The map details changes that occurred in the town of Willington in the years 1780, 1860, and 2000. Looking from an overall
perspective, it is readily apparent that the village became more residential and commercial, including new homes, access
roads, a bridge, shops, and areas for recreation and sports at the expense of natural forests and farms. Only the river
remained unchanged.
In 1780, there were only 100 homes in Willington and a considerable region to the east and south was occupied by farms and
woods. The river ran from north to south alongside the town, a feature that was unaltered by 2000. By 1860, some farms and

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forestry had been removed to allow for a road leading from the river to a residential area that had doubled in size (200 homes)
in the northeast. There was also the appearance of a bridge over the river.
In 2000, the number of homes rose to 500 and the farms and forests were entirely cleared. This enabled the construction of
two schools, 3 sports fields and numerous shops lining the southern side of the river. The final addition was a large lake at the
south end of the river.
Answers
details shows, occurred happened, Looking from an overall perspective, it is readily apparent that overall, village small town
residential place where people can live, houses/homes, commercial related to business, access roads ways to get into a place,
bridge a raised street over water or land, areas for recreation places to chill out, at the expense of natural forests removing
the woods, farms agricultural areas, remained unchanged stay unaltered, considerable region big area, occupied by taking the
place of, woods forests, ran from north to south alongside the town going from the top to the bottom next to the village
feature notable part, unaltered unchanged, forestry woods, trees, removed to allow for a taken away so that, leading from the
river to a residential area going from a stream to the housing district, doubled 200% increase, appearance how it looks
outside, rose to increased to, entirely cleared gotten rid of completely, enabled allowed for, construction building of,
lining alongside, southern side of the river bottom part of the water, The final addition was the last area added was, south
end bottom part

Question 5 Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make
comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.

The maps detail alterations to a science park dating back to 2008. Looking from an overall perspective, it is readily apparent
that the park has expanded to include more areas for research, education and improved accessibility.

Considering initially the northern end of the park, in 2008 there was considerable untouched natural land that has now been
replaced with a research and development center (the reception area was also removed in favor of a university hub, while the
adjacent offices remain the same). South of these new facilities, the car park has reduced in size, the business units are
unchanged, and, most significantly, the cyber security building has been enlarged, overtaking previously undeveloped land.
In the southern section of the park, the circular IT centre has been transformed into an innovation centre and there is a new
train station on the southernmost tracks with walkways branching off to various facilities. Finally, there are additional biking
routes along an eastern road and running through the centre of the park past the car park and new buildings as well as a bus
stop on the eastern side of campus.

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