You will never get a single map to analyze.

There will always be either two or

three maps belonging to different time periods. You have to figure out and
report on the changes between the maps.

WRITING TASK 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The maps below show the center of a small town called Birshire as it is now, and plans for its
development.

Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make
comparisons where relevant.
Birshire (present)

Birshire (future plans)

How to describe a map in IELTS Writing Task 1?
The following are the changes that can occur between maps.
1. addition: A new structure not present in the old map may be seen in the
next map. This means construction of a new feature. For example, in the
maps above, you can see items like a supermarket and a sports center will
have been built in the future.
2. removal: Old structures may be demolished and erased from the map. In
Birshire, you can see that the farms and the farmer’s market will be
removed.
3. expansion: Some items may be extended to make them bigger. For an
instance, the housing area and the Corbie Road will have been expanded in
the future.
4. downsize: Opposite to expansion, some structures may be reduced in size
when comparing two maps.
5. replace: On occasions, you will notice that some features from the older
map may be absent from the newer one with some other feature in its
place. If you look at the maps above, you will find that the Hoolahan Farm
will have been replaced by a car park, while the shops will have been
replaced by houses.

IELTS Writing Task 1 Map Questions: Locating places in a map

Describing the alterations and modifications in the maps is one aspect, but we
also need to give details of where those changes have occurred.
6. top / bottom: If directions have not been given, then mention whether the
places in the map are at the top or at the bottom.
7. left / right: Similarly, in the absence of directions, include whether the
places are on the left-hand side or the right-hand side.
8. north / south / east / west / northeast / southeast / northwest /
southwest: Some maps include a compass rose. In such cases, locate places
using directions instead of simply top, bottom, left, or right. Sometimes
only one direction, usually North, is given. You have to work out the other
directions by yourself.
The given maps describe the changes which have been planned for the town of
Birshire.
In summary, Birshire will have undergone a drastic transformation from a rural
town into an urbanized area in the future. New infrastructures like roads, a car
park, a supermarket, and a sports center will have been added.
First and foremost, all the farms from Birshire will have been removed in the days
to come. Griffiths Farm, which is in the top right corner of the map, will have been
replaced by a supermarket, whereas Hoolahan Farm, which is currently on the
right side of McGoldrick Road, will make way for a parking lot. Moreover, the
Farmer’s Market, which is beside Corbie Road, will no longer be there in the
future.

Furthermore, apart from the addition of a roundabout at the junction of

McGoldrick Road and That Street, Corbie Road will be extended beyond That
Street. The open field at the bottom right of the map will be the venue for the
construction of a Sports Center. Together with the removal of the shops from the
the bottom left, more houses will have been erected.
Words: 189
Passive voice for IELTS Writing Task 1 Maps
It is advisable you use passive voices in the perfect aspect of tenses to comment
on the amendments in the maps.
If the maps are of a past date, use the past perfect tense in the passive form.
Format Example
The health post had been replaced by
a hospital.
subject + had been + past participle
The area for farming had been
decreased.

If the maps set out the changes till today, then use the passive form of the present
perfect tense.
Format Example
The highway, which goes from east to west, has
been expanded.
subject + has/have + been + past participle
The trees in the park have been cut down.
For maps which deal will future changes, apply the future perfect tense in the
passive voice.
Format Example
The street will have been elongated in the
future.
subject + will have + past participle
A new shopping center will have been built in
the town center.
IELTS Writing Task 1 Map Tips: Relative clauses
A clause is a group of words with a subject and a predicate. A relative clause is a
clause which uses relative pronouns like who, which, and that.
Relative clauses can be used to either define a noun or add information about the
noun.
Consider the following examples:
The playground, which is in the middle of the park, has been downsized.
The branch manager who meets all the company goals will be promoted.
The sculpture, which was built in 2014, has been vandalized by thugs.

IELTS Writing Task 1 Maps Sample answer 2

WRITING TASK 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The plans below show the layout of a public park in 1990 and in 2020.

Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make
comparisons where relevant.
Central Park, 1990

Central Park, 2020

 Sample answer:
The plans shed light on the changes which had occurred in Central Park
between 1990 and 2020.

To summarize, although the basic layout of Central Park was the same, the park
had been modernized over the 30 years with the addition of a museum, a stage,
and a cafe.

The entrance to the park had been shifted from the southern side to the eastern
side. The Krishna temple in the northwest of the park, the Buddha statue in the
middle, and the Koi pond in the southeastern corner had remained untouched
over the three decades.

Nevertheless, the flower garden, which was the major feature of the park in the
northern side, had been downsized. Adjacent to it, a stage for programs had been
constructed. The toilet had been relocated from the northeastern corner of the
park to the southwestern corner. In the former place, a museum had been built.

Children’s play area, which was another major attraction in the park in the
western end, had been reduced in size. The telephone booth and one of the
shops, both from the southern side, had been removed. A cafe had been installed
in the same area.
Words: 194