IELTS Writing Task 1 Map Sample Answer
Learn how to write an IELTS Academic Task 1 map report. This page shows a 150+ word sample answer, overview strategy, location phrases, change verbs, common mistakes, and a practice plan.
Overview explains the main transformation, not just individual changes
Uses location language: western side, eastern coast, near the coast
Uses change verbs: replaced, removed, converted, expanded
IELTS Writing Task 1 Map sample answer
Prompt
The maps show changes in a coastal town between 1995 and the present day.
Overview
The town changed from a small residential and fishing area into a more developed tourist destination, with new leisure facilities and fewer natural areas.
Sample Answer
154 wordsThe maps compare a coastal town in 1995 with its layout today. Overall, the town has become more tourist-oriented, while several natural and local features have been replaced by leisure facilities. In 1995, the western side contained a forest park and a small housing area, while the eastern coast was occupied by a fishing port and a fish market. At present, the forest park has been removed and replaced by a golf course, and the original housing area has expanded with several new homes. On the eastern side, the fishing port has disappeared and the fish market has been converted into a restaurant. A hotel has also been built near the coast, supported by a new car park for visitors. The beach remains in the same position, but the surrounding area now serves tourism and recreation rather than local fishing activity. This change makes the town look more commercial and less rural than before.
Listing every building without explaining the bigger change
Mixing past and present tenses inconsistently
Forgetting precise location language
Group changes by area and explain the overall function shift from local use to tourism.
Useful language for this question type
These phrases are not templates to memorise. Use them as patterns for describing the exact visual information in the question.
- on the western side
- near the coast
- in the centre
- to the north of
- was replaced by
- was converted into
- was removed
- was expanded
- became more developed
- changed from X into Y
- fewer natural areas remained
- the layout became more commercial
- group by side of the map
- group by function
- group unchanged features
- contrast old use and new use
Practice plan
Use this short workflow before you submit a new report to the Task 1 checker.
Identify the biggest functional change first: residential, commercial, transport, tourism, or green space.
Mark unchanged features before writing so your report does not sound like everything changed.
Group changes by location rather than jumping around the map randomly.
Use past simple for the old map and present perfect or present simple for the current map.
Map FAQs
What should the overview include in an IELTS Task 1 map?
The overview should describe the biggest overall change, such as a shift from rural to urban, residential to commercial, or local use to tourism. It should not list every building.
What vocabulary is useful for IELTS map questions?
Useful language includes location phrases such as on the western side, change verbs such as was converted into, and comparison phrases such as whereas and remained unchanged.
Can I use present perfect in an IELTS map answer?
Yes, if the second map shows the present day. For example, the forest has been replaced by a golf course. Use past simple for the earlier map.
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