IELTS Writing Task 1 – Maps
Map questions show how a place changed. Learn to describe locations with compass directions, group the changes by type, and use the passive voice. Then try the practice task below.
Key points
Chapters in this video (20)
- 0:00Introduction
- 0:45Lesson Overview
- 0:48Example Map Question
- 1:21Examining the Maps
- 1:44Understanding Compass Directions
- 2:44Identifying Map Features (2005)
- 3:36Types of Changes
- 3:58Additions
- 4:05Replacements
- 4:16Expansions
- 4:30Relocations
- 4:41Unchanged Features
- 5:10Band 9 Structure Overview
- 5:39Writing the Introduction
- 7:31Writing the Overview
- 10:52Organizing Body Paragraphs
- 12:27First Body Paragraph (additions, replacements, expansions)
- 15:43Second Body Paragraph (relocations and unchanged features)
- 18:06Complete Essay Review
- 18:41Key Takeaways
Words for describing changes on a map
| Word / phrase | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| was built / was added | something new appeared | A cafeteria was built in the north-west. |
| was replaced by / was converted into | one thing took the place of another | The car park was replaced by a science block. |
| was enlarged / was extended / was expanded | became bigger | The library was enlarged. |
| was moved / was relocated | changed position | The car park was moved to the east of the main building. |
| remained unchanged / stayed the same | did not change | The sports field remained unchanged. |
| in the north-east / in the centre / on the western side | where something is | The main building is in the centre of the campus. |
| to the east of / next to / opposite | position compared with something else | The new car park is to the east of the main building. |
Practice task: A school campus
The maps below show a school campus in 2005 and in 2025. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.
List the changes first: what was added, replaced, enlarged, moved, and what stayed the same?
Use compass directions. The N arrow points up.
Use the passive voice in the past simple: was built, was replaced by, was moved.
Show model answer (try first!)
The two maps illustrate how a school campus changed between 2005 and 2025.
Overall, the campus became more developed over the twenty-year period, with two new buildings and a larger library. However, the main building and the sports field stayed exactly the same.
The most noticeable change took place in the north-east corner, where the car park was replaced by a new science block. A second new building, a cafeteria, was added in the north-west of the campus, on land that had previously been empty. As a result, the northern part of the school, which had contained only a car park in 2005, was fully built up by 2025.
There were also changes to two existing facilities. The library, on the western side of the campus, was enlarged, so it became considerably bigger than before. The car park, meanwhile, was relocated to the east of the main building, directly south of the new science block. In contrast, the main building in the centre and the sports field in the south remained unchanged.
172 words
This practice task and its model answer were written for the website. The video teaches the method with its own example map (Central Park), which is not reproduced here.
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