IELTS Writing Task 1 Map

How to Describe Maps in IELTS Writing Task 1

Maps are one of the least practised but most straightforward Task 1 types once you have the right vocabulary. They almost always appear as two maps — a before-and-after pair showing how a place changed over time — though occasionally a single map is given with a proposed development plan. A Band 9 map response uses precise location vocabulary, selects the most significant changes for the overview, and employs the correct tense to distinguish between what existed before and what exists (or is proposed) now.

Maps appear in approximately 10–15% of IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 questions. The vocabulary set is distinct from all other Task 1 types, which means it must be learned and practised separately. Candidates who arrive at the exam knowing map vocabulary score significantly higher on Lexical Resource for this question type than those who attempt to improvise. A dedicated study of the Task 1 vocabulary guide will provide the full range of change verbs, location phrases, and approximation language needed for both maps and other visual types.

Types of Map Questions

Tense Rules for Maps

Tense is the most commonly examined grammar criterion in map descriptions. The rule is as follows.

For maps showing changes in the past (e.g., “in 1950” compared to “in 2000”), use the past simplefor both maps. When describing what existed in the earlier map, use past simple: “the areawaslargely farmland.” When describing what replaced it, use past simple with change verbs: “the farmland was converted intoa residential zone.”

For maps showing a current state versus a proposed future plan, use thepresent simple for the current map and either thepassive with modal or future simplefor the proposed map: “the car park is planned to be replacedby a shopping centre” or “a new bridge will be constructedto the north.”

Tense reference summary

Location Vocabulary: The Core Skill

Precise location vocabulary enables you to describe spatial relationships without repeating the same phrases. The Band 7 Lexical Resource descriptor requires “sufficient range to allow some flexibility and precision” — for maps, this means using varied directional and positional language.

Cardinal and relative directions

• Cardinal: to the north / south / east / west of [landmark]
• Ordinal: to the north-east / south-west of [landmark]
• Relative: adjacent to, next to, alongside, bordering, opposite
• Proximity: near, close to, in the vicinity of, in the immediate surroundings of
• Central: in the centre of, in the middle of, at the heart of, centrally located
• Peripheral: on the outskirts of, on the periphery of, at the edge of, in the outer area of

Describing position along a route

• along the [road / river / coastline]
• on the [northern / southern] bank of the river
• on the [left / right / eastern / western] side of the road
• at the junction of [Road A] and [Road B]
• at the intersection of the main road and the railway line

Change Vocabulary for Before-and-After Maps

The primary analytical task in a two-map question is describing what changed and what stayed the same. The most common mistake is describing every single change in turn without identifying what is most significant. As with all Task 1 types, select the most notable changes for the overview and the most significant details for the body paragraphs. Process diagram responses share this same need for a clear overview — see how to describe process diagrams for a comparison of how non-data visuals are structured.

Verbs for changes to features

• New construction: was built, was constructed, was developed, was erected, was established
• Demolition / removal: was demolished, was knocked down, was removed, was cleared, was replaced by
• Expansion: was extended, was expanded, was enlarged, grew substantially
• Conversion: was converted into, was transformed into, was redeveloped as, was turned into
• Relocation: was moved to, was relocated to, was transferred to
• No change: remained in place, was retained, was unchanged, continued to occupy

Noun phrases for the magnitude of change

• significant / substantial / dramatic / considerable development
• extensive urbanisation / industrialisation / expansion
• a notable / marked / striking transformation
• relatively little change / minimal development

Structuring a Two-Map Response

The most coherent structure for a two-map response is to divide the area spatially rather than describing one map fully before the other. Group changes by zone (e.g., northern area, central area, southern area) and in each body paragraph compare what was there before with what replaced it. This produces natural comparative sentences rather than two separate descriptions.

Recommended paragraph structure

1. Introduction: Paraphrase what the maps show. State the two time periods and the location.
2. Overview: Identify the most significant overall change (e.g., general urbanisation, shift from agricultural to commercial use, large-scale demolition). Note whether any area remained unchanged.
3. Body Paragraph 1: Describe changes in one half of the map (e.g., northern and central areas) with precise location references.
4. Body Paragraph 2: Describe changes in the other half (e.g., southern and eastern areas), including any features that were retained.

Band 9 Sample Answer with Annotations

Map description (for reference): The two maps show a small coastal town called Portwell in 1970 and 2020. In 1970, the town had a harbour, a fishing village to the west, farmland to the north, and a small hotel to the east of the harbour. By 2020, the town has expanded significantly.

Introduction: The two maps illustrate how the coastal town of Portwell developed over a fifty-year period, from 1970 to 2020.

Overview: Overall, Portwell underwent extensive development across the period, with the most dramatic changes occurring in the northern and western areas. The harbour remained one of the few features to survive largely intact, while the surrounding land was transformed from rural to largely commercial and residential use.

Annotation: The overview identifies the dominant pattern (extensive development), the most changed zones (north and west), and the most notable unchanged feature (the harbour). These three observations together represent an analytically complete overview that requires no specific data.

Body Paragraph 1: In 1970, the northern area of Portwell consisted entirely of open farmland. By 2020, this land had been cleared and a large residential estate had been built in its place, extending from the northern boundary of the harbour down to the town centre. To the west, the fishing village was demolished and replaced by a marina and associated leisure facilities. The harbour itself, which had been a working fishing port in 1970, was retained but repurposed to accommodate tourist boats alongside its remaining commercial vessels.

Annotation: Each sentence follows the pattern “what existed before → what replaced it,” which is the natural comparative structure for before-and-after maps. The tense is consistent past simple throughout. Precise location references (“to the west,” “northern boundary of the harbour”) ground each change spatially.

Body Paragraph 2: The small hotel to the east of the harbour, which had occupied a modest site in 1970, was significantly expanded by 2020 into a large resort complex that now dominates the eastern seafront. A new road network was also constructed to connect the residential estate in the north with the town centre and the resort to the east. The only area that experienced relatively little change was the town centre itself, which retained its original street layout, though several new shops and restaurants had been added along the main road.

Annotation: The reference to what remained unchanged (“relatively little change” in the town centre) is deliberate and analytically important. Noting stability alongside change demonstrates that the writer has read the map carefully rather than describing only the most obvious features. The phrase “now dominates” is a precise evaluative observation, not an opinion.

Word count: 226 words. Estimated band score: Band 9.

Common Mistakes in Map Descriptions

1. Using wrong tense for the type of map

Describing a historical before-and-after map in present tense (“a hotel is located to the east” for a 1970 map) is a grammatical error. All features in historical maps use past simple. All features in proposed plans use modal passive or future forms.

2. Describing one map fully, then the other

This is the same structural error as in pie charts. A description of Map 1 followed by a description of Map 2 produces no comparative synthesis. Compare the same area across both maps within each body paragraph.

3. Omitting unchanged features

Noting what did notchange is as analytically important as noting what did. “The railway station remained in its original location despite the surrounding development” is a meaningful observation that demonstrates thorough reading of the map.

4. Imprecise or repeated location language

Writing “in the top part” instead of “in the northern area” is imprecise and informal. Using “next to” for every spatial relationship when “adjacent to,” “bordering,” and “to the east of” are available is a Lexical Resource limitation. For IELTS Speaking tips on how the same spatial vocabulary can be used in Part 2 to describe places, see the Speaking preparation guide.

5. Listing every single feature change

A detailed map may contain fifteen or twenty labelled features. Describing every one of them produces a list, not an analysis. Prioritise the most significant changes (those involving large areas, complete transformations, or especially notable features) and group minor changes together. To understand how the Task 1 band score descriptors define “key features,” review the Task Achievement criterion breakdown.