Class: Ms.

Trân’s

DAY 9
Agenda:
IELTS Writing Task 1: Maps
1/ Describing directions/ locations
2/ Verbs to describe changes
3/ Bringing your essay to the next level
4/ Writing the introduction
5/ Practices

IELTS Task 1: Maps

- There are 5 main types of map question:

1. Describe one map in the past/present/future.
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.
4. Describe two maps- one in the past and one in the future.
5. Describe two maps- both in the past.

- Essay structure:
1. Introduction:
+ Paraphrase: a sentence that paraphrases the description given with the task.
+ Overview: a sentence that describes the general/most obvious changes.
2. Body 1:
Four to five sentences about specific changes that have occurred.
3. Body 2:
Four to five sentences about specific changes that have occurred.
* Note: You can group information together by time or location.

- Pay attention to the use of articles: a, an, the.

- TENSES: When describing maps, we mostly use the passive tense because it focuses on the action
rather than the one doing it. However, there are a few exceptions.

1
Class: Ms.Trân’s

Describing directions/ locations

Structure:

1/ in the + [direction] + of + [area]

2/ (to the) + [direction] + of + [area/location]

2
Class: Ms.Trân’s

Verbs to describe changes

1/ Trees:
+ Add: planted
+ Remove: cut down, removed, chopped down, cleared away
2/ Buildings:
+ Add: constructed, built, erected, added
+ Remove: demolished, knocked down, removed
3/ Railroads/roads/bridges:
+ Add: installed, placed
+ Remove: removed
4/ Factories/ facilities:
+ Add: established, installed, opened up
+ Remove: demolished, knocked down, removed
5/ Verbs to describe changes:
+ Made longer (example: roads, railroads,…): extended
+ Made bigger (example: a building/ an area,…): enlarged, expanded
+ Changed into something else (passive): converted into, transformed into, turned into, replaced by
+ Changed into something else (active): make way for, give way to

3
Class: Ms.Trân’s

Structure to describe replacement (X => Y)

- X made way for (the development/the construction of) Y.

- X was removed to make way for (the development/the construction of) Y.
- X was removed and replaced by Y.
- X was removed and Y was built in its place.
- Y was built after X was removed.
- X was converted into Y (*Note: building => building).

Bringing your essay to the next level

1. Tip number 1: use noun phrases instead of using verbs all the time

remove

4
Class: Ms.Trân’s

2. Tip number 2: add some phrases to specify the location of the subject being described
- For example, instead of saying: “A hospital was built.” write: “To the northeast of the
river, a hospital was built.”
- Change “The farmland was removed.” to “The farmland that occupied the southwest
corner of the town was removed.”

Exercise: Use 2 techniques above to improve the following sentences describing the
maps below which show recent changes in the town of Kimsville.

1/ The trees have been cut down to make way for new apartments.
2/ The old cinema has been converted into a pub.
3/ A football stadium has replaced the trees.

5
 Class: Ms.Trân’s

Writing the introduction

- Adjectives to describe an area/ a zone: _________________________________________________________

- Paraphrase:

Past => Past: The maps (indicate/illustrate/demonstrate) the (changes/development) that (occurred/ took
place) in [location] over the period from…to…

Past/present => future: The maps (indicate/illustrate/demonstrate) [location] in (the past/the present/
*year) and plans for development in the future.

Past => present: The maps (indicate/illustrate/demonstrate) [location] in (the past / *year) and how it is
now.

- Overview:

Structure 1: Overall, [location], which is (divided by …), (developed/changed/is expected to develop/ is

expected to change) from a mostly [adjective] area into one with (add a brief description, for example: infrastructure
and facilities dedicated to …/ more facilities but fewer trees and open spaces).

Structure 2: Overall, [location], which is (divided by …), was profoundly transformed with the
construction of more facilities such as …, and new infrastructure including …

Practices

Practice 1:
 Class: Ms.Trân’s

Practice 2: The maps below show the transformation of the area around the city of Tumbledown over a 15-year
period from 1995 to 2010.

7
 Class: Ms.Trân’s

MODEL ESSAY: WRITING TASK 1 - MAPS

Practice 1: The maps show changes that took place in the town of Westerling between 2000 and 2011.

The maps demonstrate the development that occurred in a town called Westerling over the period from 2000 to
2011. Overall, Westerling, which is divided by Green Street, changed from a mostly rural area into one with more
facilities but fewer trees and open spaces.

In the north of the town, running from east to west, North Road was transformed into Motorway M51. To the
south of this, the residential area in the west was expanded after the open space next to some houses made way for
the construction of numerous blocks of flats. Another notable change is the transformation of the factories that
occupied the southwest corner into a multi-storey car park. Meanwhile, some of the shops between the industrial
zone and Green Street were removed, making this commercial area decrease in size.

To the east of Green Street, parts of the woodland were chopped down and replaced by a golf club. It is
interesting to note that near this new facility, a hotel was built in an area where there used to be some detached
houses. Across from this hotel, the bus station was converted into a bus and railway station after knocking down
the street market and the car park. Another striking development is the installation of a railway connecting the
station with a newly established technopark situated to the south of the school.

Compare the model essay with the following simpler version and think about how to bring your Writing task
1- Maps essay to the next level:

The maps demonstrate the development that occurred in a town called Westerling over the period from 2000 to
2011. Overall, Westerling, which is divided by Green Street, changed from a mostly rural area into one with more
facilities but fewer trees and open spaces.

North Road was transformed into Motorway M51. The open space next to some houses made way for the
construction of numerous blocks of flats. The factories were transformed into a multi-storey car park. Some of the
shops were removed.

Parts of the woodland were chopped down and replaced by a golf club. A hotel was built in an area where there
used to be some detached houses. The bus station was converted into a bus and railway station after knocking
down the street market and the car park. A railway was installed connecting the station with a technopark.