IELTS Writing Task 1 map: sample answers and how to write one
IELTS Writing Task 1 map sample answers at band 6.5, 7.5 and 9, with a structure to follow, location language, the passive voice and the mistakes that cost marks.
Map questions usually show a place at two points in time, or a plan for its future. There are no numbers to compare, so the answer is about change: what was built, removed, extended or moved — described with precise location language and, because the people who made the changes are unimportant, mostly in the passive voice.
4 map sample answers
Each question is answered three times — at about band 6.5, 7.5 and 9 — with commentary on every criterion, so you can see exactly what moves the score.
- A college campus now and as plannedA present-day campus and the plan for its future, where the weakest answer lists new buildings and the strongest sees that the whole site is being turned round.Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 194 / 192 / 226 words
- A fishing village that became a resortTwo maps of a small bay thirty years apart, in which every change points towards tourism — and the best answer notices that nothing old was knocked down to get there.Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 190 / 192 / 230 words
- A town centre before and after redevelopmentTwo maps of the same town centre, where the weakest answer describes each map in turn and the strongest describes only what moved.Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 179 / 197 / 217 words
- Two possible sites for a new hospitalOne town, two candidate sites and an almost perfect trade-off between them — a map task that rewards comparison rather than description.Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 194 / 190 / 217 words
How to structure a map answer
- 1Introduction. Paraphrase what the maps show and the two dates or states being compared.
- 2Overview. The overall transformation in one or two sentences — for example, a quiet residential area turned into a commercial centre.
- 3Body paragraph 1. The changes in one part of the map, such as the north or the centre.
- 4Body paragraph 2. The changes in the rest of the map, plus anything that stayed the same.
Useful language for a map
Location
- to the north of
- adjacent to
- on the opposite side of
- in the south-east corner
- running alongside
Change (passive)
- was demolished
- was replaced by
- was extended
- was converted into
- was relocated to
What stayed the same
- remained unchanged
- was retained
- is still located
- continued to occupy
Mistakes that cost marks
- Describing each map separately instead of the changes between them.
- Vague location words ('here', 'near the road') that the reader cannot place.
- Missing the overall transformation, which is what the overview needs.
Now write one yourself.
Timed Task 1 practice with an AI band for each criterion.
Common questions
Which tense should I use for a map question?
The past simple and the passive for changes that have happened ('the library was extended'), and future forms for plans ('a car park will be built'). Use the tense the dates in the question call for.
What should the overview of a map answer say?
The overall character of the change, such as the area becoming more developed, more residential or more accessible, and anything significant that stayed the same.
How do I organise a map answer?
By area of the map rather than map by map. Take one part — the north, the centre, the waterfront — and describe everything that changed there before moving to the next.