Table of Contents

(For quick access, click on whichever part you would like to see)

I. A brief introduction 1
II. Categorization & The correct Verb Tense for each type 1
III. Vocabulary for describing maps 1
1. Language of Location 1
1.1. Directions 1
1.2. Locations 3
2. Language of Change 5
3. Sentence structures 7
IV. Structure for Map Report 8
INTRODUCTION 9
OVERVIEW 9
DETAIL PARAGRAPHS 11
V. Put pen to paper ٩(•̤̀ᵕ•̤๑
́ ) 12
VI. Some mistakes you might make 12
VII. Vocab Review, and some more Words of Change 🦥 12
VIII. phew it's over…here’re some samples for you to go through 🧃 13
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MAPS

I. A brief introduction
IELTS map questions are the easiest to answer. There are no numbers to analyze, just 2
or 3 maps to compare. Very occasionally, there might only be a single map, but this is
rare.
The maps will be of the same location at different times. This could be in the past, the
present time or a plan for a proposed development in the future. You are required to
write about the changes you see between the maps.
There are 5 steps to writing a high-scoring IELTS map essay:
1) Analyze the question
2) Identify the main features
3) Write an introduction
4) Write an overview
5) Write the details paragraphs

I must emphasize the importance of steps 1 and 2. It is essential that you complete this
planning stage properly before you start writing. Also, you do not have to write about
everything. Just pick out key features.

🗺️
II. Categorization & The correct Verb Tense for each type

⤹
past - past: mainly past simple (was/were V3), in combination with past perfect
(if you can, not compulsory)
past - present (today): present perfect (has/have been V3)
present - future: simple future (will V0) Describing data in the future

III. Vocabulary for describing maps

To describe a map, there are two types of languages that the writer needs to master: the
language of LOCATION and the language of CHANGE.
1. Language of Location
1.1. Directions

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- Directions are only capitalized when they are part of a proper noun:
+ West Cherry Street, Southeast Asia, North Korea
+ west of Cherry Lane, southeast of Asia, north of Korea
- Inter-cardinal or intermediate directions can be written as one word or hyphenated:
southwest ~ south-west, northeast ~ north-east
- You can use ‘to the left’ and ‘to the right’, but a better way is to use ‘north’, ‘south’, ‘east’
and ‘west’. Draw the symbols on the question paper if they are not already there.

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➔ In the + direction + of the + area (in the southwest) is used to describe where
something is situated within an area.
ex: The university is in the north, and the bars and clubs are in the southeast.
➔ [To the] + direction + of the + location (to the west of the covered market) is used
to compare where one thing is in relationship with another thing.
ex: The new shop is to the south of the police station. The new covered market is in the
east, to the south of the airport that is being built.

Now, try completing the sentences below (to/in)

1. A plan for the rental of bicycles was started to the north of the walking street, in
the city center.
2. A new tramline was installed, connecting the center of the city with the university
in the north.
3. In the northwest, a hall of residence was erected to the west of the university.
4. In the southwest, a new cinema was built to the west of the new bars.
5. To the west of the city center, a new shop sprang up after the old market was
removed.

A few more sentences to wrap up this part:

🌱 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 south-west of the town were demolished.
🌱 The green fields to the north-west of the city were redeveloped as a park.
🌱 The airport in the center of the city was relocated to the north-east of the river.
🌱 The school to the south-east was knocked down and a new one built to the east of
the forest.
🌱 To the south of the town, there is a golf course surrounded by trees.
1.2. Locations
A new train station was built between the university in the north and the city center. A
new system for renting bicycles was begun around the center of the city. In the
southeast, next to the pedestrian street, some new bars and clubs were established.

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Learn from these sentences:

❖ A hotel was constructed next to the lake. The railway running from north to south
was extended. A new stadium was built on the vast grassland stretching from the
center to the southern part of the town.
❖ 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.
❖ Recycling bins were positioned next to the college faculty.
❖ New student housing and flats were constructed opposite the public park.
❖ The small river near the road was diverted away to the east.
❖ A new light railway running from east to south was built.
❖ A public footbridge from the residential area to the school was built.
❖ Electric charging facilities for EV vehicles were added in the retail area.
❖ The education quarter across from the park was extended to the south and new
leisure facilities were also built.

Để miêu tả vị trí của một địa điểm, có thể sử dụng một trong ba cách sau:

– There + to be + noun 1 + position phrase + noun 2

– Noun 1 + to be + located/sited/situated/positioned + position phrase + noun 2
– Noun 1 + stand + position phrase + noun 2

ex:
There was a bank to the north of the town hall in 2000.
A school was located to the south of the supermarket in 1990.
A park stood in the north-eastern corner of the village.

Xem thêm: 🧭
2. Language of Change
Language of change shows TIME changes of the features in the map. A comparison
to highlight variation is extremely important with the dual map description.
Usually, important objects on the map will have their name labeled. The important
thing the writer has to do is to state the changes of each of those objects.

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To describe changes, we need verbs (action words) to express what was removed
or added in an area. There will be a whole lot of verbs, but in my opinion, they are
actually what make map-writing fun!
So let’s get started by clicking here

⤹ Language of Change
／＞　 フ
| 　_　_|
／` ミ＿xノ
/　　　　 |
/　 ヽ　　 ﾉ
│　　|　|　|
／￣|　　 |　|　|
(￣ヽ＿_ヽ_)__)
＼二)

These verbs' noun forms are also very useful, and they make your writing sound much
more advanced! So, whenever possible, use the noun form of a verb.

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*installation, removal, addition

3. Sentence structures
a) There be
Inside the hall, there was a reception desk to welcome visitors, which led to a staircase
in the north end.
b) While S + V, S + V
While the two entrances remained unchanged, the registration area was relocated to the
south to make way for a newly-built refreshment area.
c) S + V, whereas S + V
The balcony on the right hand side was equipped with a lounge area in 2010, whereas
the nearby exhibition area was expanded and moved to the left hand side.
d) S + V, and S + V
The children’s play area was reconstructed nearer to the entrance of the park, and a
wildlife habitat was put in its place.

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Use the sentence structures below to demonstrate your vocabulary and grammar skills
when describing replacements:
X was/were V3 to make way for (the development/construction/addition…of) Y
ex: Some trees were cut down to make way for the construction of a shopping mall.
By 2010, a large number of trees in the northeast corner had been cut down to create
space for a new shopping center.
The school was demolished to make way for a new science block.
A number of trees were removed to allow for the construction of the new footpath.
X was/were V3, which made way/space for Y
To the east of the university, a wooded area was cleared away, which made space for
the installation of a new shopping center.
X was/were V3 and replaced by Y
The school was demolished and replaced by a new science block.
X was/were V3 on the original site of Y
A new science block was built on the original site of the school.

IV. Structure for Map Report

Now that we have most of the language needed, we can look at the overall structure of
the report.

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Let’s go through this article:

INTRODUCTION
🧾🔍 (。。)

Original: The maps show the changes that took place in the Spanish city of Castellon
between 1980 and 2010.
Paraphrased:
🚝 The maps show the developments/changes that occured/happened in the city of
Castellon, which is located in Spain, over a 20-year period from 1980 to 2010.
🚝 The two maps indicated/illustrated/depicted the ways that the city of Castellon,
which is in Spain, developed/changed/transformed over the two decades between 1980
and 2010.

2 công thức viết Introduction:

➢ The maps show/illustrate/demonstrate how [tên khu vực] changed over a [số
năm]-year period from___ to___.
Ex: The maps illustrate how the Spanish city of Castellon changed over a 10-year period
from 2000 to 2010.
➢ The maps show/illustrate/demonstrate the changes of [tên khu vực] over a [số
năm]-year period between___ and___.
Ex: The maps demonstrate the changes of the Spanish city of Castellon over a 10-year
period from 2000 to 2010.

OVERVIEW
For the overview, describe the general changes and write about the most noticeable
difference(s) between the two maps.
In order to write about the general changes, we need some adjectives to describe
overall features of the town.

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1. urban like the city 🌇

2. rural like the countryside 🌾🐓
3. industrial factories 🏭
4. residential places to live, like houses, apartments…
buildings)
👨‍👩‍👧‍👧🏘️
(residential

5. recreational leisure facilities and large parks 🏊🏻🍻

6. commercial
🛒🛍️
places to buy and sell things (like shops, malls, restaurants,
hotels,…) (dịch vụ)

7. financial places related to money (like banks) 🏦💱

*combine these words with “facilities”/ “buildings”

Let’s look at how the vocabulary is used in the overview for Castellon:
★ Overall, this city changed from a rural area with many shops and open spaces
into a more urban area that contains a variety of means of transportation and
new shops, bars, and a cinema.

Other overview sentences:

- The town used to be heavily industrialized, but it has become more residential in the
last two decades.
- The town used to have many green spaces, but it has become urbanized in the last 20
years.
- The outskirts of the town used to be rural but have now become urban areas.

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➔ Overall, the trade conference witnessed radical changes, with the most
noticeable being the replacement of a concert hall and a meeting room for an
exhibition area.

◤Overview recipe◥
Overall, A ➟ B, characterized by the removal of (...) and the addition of (...)
Overall, A [witness] radical changes, with the most noticeable being the relocation of X
expansion
replacement
addition
construction
disappearance
…mix and match!

DETAIL PARAGRAPHS
The body should contain 2 paragraphs that are organized logically, typically based on
sections of the maps. So try to find a logical, geographical divide for the maps, for
example by north and south or east and west.
2 terms to start body para 1 & 2: Looking first to X,... - Turning to Y,...
Changes

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V. Put pen to paper ٩(•̤̀ᵕ•̤́๑)

đề maps 1

VI. Some mistakes you might make

🔅Describing Location for IELTS Maps
● When describing maps, we typically use the passive tense, but there are some
words that should be used in the active tense, such as: take place, become,
change, transform, make way for, appear, and many others. Simply focus on the
meaning of the words and avoid using them mindlessly, and you will be just fine!
● make way for BUT give way to
● in the corner vs at the corner
– ‘in the corner’ được sử dụng để miêu tả vị trí
ex: The school in the southeastern corner of the village had been demolished to give
way to a theater.
– ‘at the corner’ dùng để chỉ góc giao nhau của 2 con đường
ex: There used to be a café at the corner of West Street and Park Street.

VII. Vocab Review, and some more Words of Change 🦥

\̅_̅/̷̚ʾ an extra sip of tea \̅_̅/̷̚ʾ

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VIII. phew it's over…here’re some samples for you to go through 🧃

[Maps] SAMPLE

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