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IELTS / Guides / Writing · Task 1: maps
IELTS Writing · Guide

IELTS Writing Task 1 Maps: describing how a place changes

A map task shows a place at two or more times, or a present map and a plan for the future, and you describe what changes. It tests precise use of the language of location and change, as well as correct tenses. The skill is to select the main changes and group them, not to list every building.

About Writing practice

Format

  • Task 1 of Academic Writing: about 20 minutes of the 60, a minimum of 150 words, and one third of the Writing mark because Task 2 counts twice as much.
  • You usually see two maps of the same place, such as a village in 1980 and 2010, or a town centre now and after a planned development.
  • The time frame decides the tenses: past to past, past to present, present to future, or two proposals.
  • An overview of the main changes is required, as well as description of the details.
  • Typed on computer with a live word count. Aim for about 160 to 190 words; fewer than 150 is penalised.

Strategy

  1. Check the dates or labels on the maps first, because they decide your tenses. Note the compass if there is one, and the scale.
  2. Compare the maps and sort the changes into groups: what was added, what was removed, what was replaced, what was extended and what stayed the same. Choose the main groups.
  3. Write a one-sentence introduction paraphrasing the title: 'The maps show how the town of Greywell changed between 1985 and 2020.'
  4. Write an overview with the biggest changes, not the details: 'Overall, the town became far more developed, with farmland replaced by housing and a new road system.'
  5. Organise the body by area or by type of change, for example the north and the south, or the new buildings and the removed ones, using compass directions and landmarks to be precise.
  6. Use location language accurately: 'in the north-east', 'to the west of the river', 'opposite the station', 'between the school and the park', 'alongside the main road'.
  7. Use change verbs and passives: 'was demolished', 'was replaced by', 'was converted into', 'was extended', 'has been built'. Use the past perfect with 'by 2020' for changes that had been completed before then.
  8. Check the tense against the time frame, check each direction and mention at least one feature that did not change, which shows you have compared the whole map.

Common traps

  • Using the wrong tense for the time frame. A past-to-present map needs past simple and present perfect, and a future plan needs 'will be' or 'is planned to be'.
  • Describing one map in full and then the other. The task is about change, so the sentences must compare.
  • Getting directions wrong because you did not check the compass, or reading left and right as the direction of the page.
  • Listing every change in the order of the page, instead of grouping them.
  • Leaving out unchanged features, which gives only half of the comparison.

Practise it inside a real Writing section

Practice on PrepFreely is always a complete section, so you meet this question type in the same place and proportion as on test day. Random sections never repeat until you've done them all. Every answer is explained.

Practise Writing Take the Writing course

FAQ

What tense do I use?

It depends on the dates. Past simple for past maps, present perfect for changes up to now, and 'will be' or 'is planned to be' for future development.

Do I need to describe every change?

No. Describe the main ones, grouped, and mention smaller ones briefly. Selecting is part of the skill.

Should I mention things that stayed the same?

Yes, briefly. It shows you have compared the maps and avoids a list of changes only.

What if the maps do not show a compass?

Use words such as 'on the left of the map' carefully, or use landmarks such as the river or the main road as reference points.

What if one map shows a plan for the future?

Use the present simple for the current map and future forms for the plan. If two plans are proposed, use 'would be'.

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