IELTS WRITING TASK 1:

MAPS AND DIAGRAMS

MAPS
БАНК 2
WOODGROVE
 WHAT DOES THIS MODULE
COVER?

• Different kinds of map questions.

• Structure.
• Describing specific changes.
• Describing general changes
• Describing locations
• Sample answer

БАНК 3
WOODGROVE
DIFFERENT KINDS OF MAP QUESTION

There are 3 main

types of map
questions
• Describe one map in the present
day
• Describe two maps – one in
present and one in the future
• Describe two maps – one in the
past and one in the present

БАНК 4
WOODGROVE
STRUCTURE
Paragraph 1 – Paraphrase Sentence Paragraph 3 – Main Body 1
• Paraphrase question using synonyms. As this • Three to four sentences about specific
is a man-made process, you can use passive. changes that have occurred.

Paragraph 2 – Overview Paragraph 4 – Main Body 2

• Make 2 general statements about the map. • Further, three to four sentences about specific
You should describe the maps generally and changes that have occurred.
write about the most noticeable defferences.
• You can group information in paragraphs 3
You could ask yourself the following
and 4 by time or location, depending on the
questions to identify changes:
question asked.
• Is the map more or less residential?
• Is there more or less countryside?
• Are there more or fewer trees?
• Were the changes dramatical or negligible?
• Were there any major infrastructure
improvements?
• How have the building and leisure facilities
changed? БАНК 5
WOODGROVE
DESCRIBING SPECIFIC CHANGES
Buildings– demolished, knocked down, flattened, replaced, renovated, built, constructed, reconstructed, developed,
extended, expanded, relocated, converted and modernized.
Example: The government demolished the industrial estate and developed a sports ground.
They removed the shops and replaced them with a skyscraper.

Trees and Forests- cleared, cut down, chopped down, removed, planted.

Example: The trees were cleared to make way for houses.

Roads, bridges and railways lines- constructed, built, extended, expanded and removed.
Example: The main road was extended, and a new bridge was built over the river.

Leisure facilities- opened, set up, developed.

Example: A skate park was set up next to the swimming pool.
A park was developed beside the forest.

БАНК 6
WOODGROVE
DESCRIBING GENERAL CHANGES
Example: Over the period, the area witnessed dramatic changes.
From 1995 to 2005, the city centre saw spectacular developments.
The village changed considerably over the period.
During the 10-year period, the industrial area was totally transformed.
Over the past 20 years, the residential area was totally reconstructed.
Over the period, the old docks were totally redeveloped.
Between 1995 and 2005, the old houses were rebuilt.
The central business district was completely modernised during the period.

БАНК 7
WOODGROVE
DESCRIBING LOCATIONS
You can use ‘to the left’ and ‘to the right’, but a better way is to use ‘north’, ‘south’, ‘west’ and ‘east’.
Examples: 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 southwest of the town were demolished.
The green fields to the city’s northwest were redeveloped as a park.
The airport in the city’s centre was relocated to the northeast of the river.
The school to the southeast was knocked down and a new one was built to the east of the forest.
Finally, you will also be expected to use prepositions of place, e.g. at/in/on/by/beside/to/off/from, to describe where things
are.
Examples: Dramatic changes took place in the city centre.
To the town’s south is a golf course surrounded by trees.
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.

БАНК 8
WOODGROVE
 SAMPLE
СЛАЙД С ИЗОБРАЖЕНИЕМ
Both maps display an island before and after it was developed
for tourism.
The island is approximately 250 metres long, has palm trees
dotted around it, is surrounded by ocean and has a beach to the
west. Over the period, the island was completely transformed
with the addition of a hotel and a pier; however, the eastern part
of the island appears to have been left undeveloped.
The most noticeable additions are the hotel rooms. 6 buildings,
surrounding some trees, have been built in the west of the
island, and 9 buildings have been constructed in the centre of
the island.  A reception building and a restaurant have been
developed between the two accommodation areas.
A pier has also been built on the island’s south coast, allowing
yachts access to the resort. Apart from the trees, the beach
remains the only natural feature to remain relatively untouched;
however, it appears to be used for swimming.

БАНК 9
WOODGROVE
 The examiner knows
that you have probably
never seen this process

PROCESS before and you have

only 20 minutes to
write about it. They do
not expect a perfect
БАНК 10
answer. WOODGROVE
 WHAT DOES THIS MODULE
COVER?

• Different kinds of process questions.

• A 5 step plan for answering any process
question
• How to write an introduction
• How to pick out the main features and write
an overview
• How to write about each stage in detail
• How to sequence your language
• Sample

БАНК 11
WOODGROVE
DIFFERENT KINDS OF MAP QUESTION

There are 2 main

types of process
questions
• Natural processes include things
like the life cycle of a butterfly or
frog, pregnancy, the water cycle
or how cows produce milk
• A man-made process like how
coffee, tea, beer or wine are
made, how cement or bricks are
produced or how an ATM or the
internet works

БАНК 12
WOODGROVE
5 STEP PLAN
Step 1 – Understand the process
The easiest way to do it is to ask questions:
• Where does the process start and where does
it end?
• How many stages are there?
• Is it a man-made process or natural process?
• Is it a cyclical (in a circle) or linear (one start
point and one end point) process?
• Are there any materials that need to be added
to the process?
• What is produced?
• What does each stage of the process do?
• What are the relationships between each
stage?
Step 2 – Paraphrase the question
It may be a bit challenging when you do not
have some general knowledge
• Example 1:
Question: The diagram below shows the process
of photosynthesis.
Paraphrased: The illustration demonstrates how
plants produce energy from sunlight.
• Example 2:
Question: The diagram below shows how
electricity is produced in a nuclear power
station.
Paraphrased: The illustration below shows the
process of how nuclear power plants make
electricity.
БАНК 13
WOODGROVE
5 STEP PLAN
Step 3 – Overview of Process (2 s-s) Step 4 – Detail Each Stage

The easiest way to do it is to ask questions: You can:

• Where does the process start and where does
it end?
• How many stages are there?
• Is it a man-made process or natural process?
• Is it a cyclical (in a circle) or linear (one start
point and one end point) process?
• Are there any materials that need to be added
to the process?
• What is produced?
• Say what each stage does;
• What it produces;
• If any materials are added;
• And/or discuss the relationship with the
previous or subsequent stages;
Some linking words are: Firstly, Where, After
that, From this, Following that, Subsequently,
Before that, In turn, Then.

Step 5 – Check your work

БАНК 14
WOODGROVE
 SAMPLE
СЛАЙД С ИЗОБРАЖЕНИЕМ
The graphic illustrates the life process of the silkworm and the
phases in the manufacture of silk material.
Overall, the lifecycle is a natural process and contains four
cyclical phases, beginning with the laying of eggs and ending
with the birth of a new moth from a cocoon. The production of
silk is, in contrast to the previous stage, a man-made linear
process comprising of 6 main stages.
To begin with, eggs are produced by the moth and it takes 10
days for the eggs to hatch into silkworm larvae that feed on
mulberry leaves. This stage takes between 4 and 6 weeks before
the worms construct a cocoon from silk thread, taking
approximately one week. They stay there for around a fortnight,
subsequently emerging as moths and the process can begin
again.
The first stage in the manufacture of silk is the selection of
cocoons and these are then boiled. Once boiled, the silk thread
is unwound to a length of between 300 and 900 meters. Finally,
the silk can be twisted and weaved into cloth before being
dyed.
(180 words)
БАНК 15
WOODGROVE
THANK YOU

Siyavush Yildizoglu