The maps below describe the city in 1960 and now.
Sample Response
The two maps are describing the same city, in 1960 and at present. The main features that can be seen are the residential and business districts, roads, a river, an airport and a government building.
It is clear that with the passage of time the population has grown tenfold and the amenities and infrastructure developed in a very significant way.
In 1960 both the business district and the residential area around it were relatively small, as was the airport, located to the east of the city along a major road, crossing the city from west to east. Another major road ran through the city from south to north and there was a small bridge over a river. There was a government building on the riverbank, next to the bridge.
Since 1960 the business district has spread out to an area at least 4 times what it was before, and the residential district has quadrupled in size. The airport has experienced a significant growth as well, in line with the increase in population to 200,000. The river has been diverted into a man-made lake with a dam in the heart of the city, with the business and residential areas around it to the north and the south. A longer bridge now connects the lake’s shores. In addition to the two roads that criss-crossed the city before, a new road was built and another, smaller building for government officials was added in the business district.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Use simple present Original: are describing Suggested revision: depict Why it matters: The simple present is more natural for introducing what maps show.
- 2. Remove vague wording Original: that can be seen Suggested revision: Delete Why it matters: This phrase is redundant because the sentence already identifies the visible features.
- 3. Complete the verb phrase Original: the amenities and infrastructure developed Suggested revision: the amenities and infrastructure have developed Why it matters: The present perfect needs an auxiliary to describe change from the past to now.
- 4. Clarify the modifier Original: along a major road, crossing the city Suggested revision: along a major road that crossed the city Why it matters: A relative clause clearly shows that the road, rather than the airport, crossed the city.
- 5. Use the definite article Original: a Suggested revision: the Why it matters: The river is a specific mapped feature already introduced in the description.
- 6. Express size precisely Original: at least 4 times what it was before Suggested revision: at least four times its former size Why it matters: This wording makes the comparison concise and unambiguous.
- 7. Remove the article Original: a significant growth Suggested revision: significant growth Why it matters: Growth is uncountable in this context and does not take the article a.
- 8. Make the overview specific Suggested revision: Identify the expansion of the built-up districts and the river's transformation into a central lake as the principal physical changes. Why it matters: The current overview reports general development but does not summarize the maps' most prominent spatial changes.
Suggested Rewrites
- are describing depict
- that can be seen Delete
- the amenities and infrastructure developed the amenities and infrastructure have developed
- along a major road, crossing the city along a major road that crossed the city
- a the
- at least 4 times what it was before at least four times its former size
Why this response received Band 8.0
The response gives a clear overview and a detailed, well-organised comparison, accurately capturing the tenfold population rise, expansion of the districts and airport, lake and dam, extra road, and added government building. Its main limitation is occasional imprecision in quantified size changes and a few awkward collocations, so the highest priority is to describe visually supported changes more cautiously and with more natural comparative phrasing.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The response provides a clear overview and accurately covers nearly all major changes shown on the maps.
Avoid assigning exact multiples to changes in area when the maps provide no numerical scale.
Coherence and Cohesion
Information is logically divided between the overview, the earlier city and the present city, with smooth progression.
Make the final comparative paragraph even easier to scan by grouping transport changes separately from land-use changes.
Lexical Resource
A wide range of precise map language is used effectively, though a few collocations and comparative phrases are awkward.
Prefer natural forms such as grew significantly and expanded to roughly four times its former size.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
The response uses varied complex structures with strong control and only occasional non-impeding errors.
Refine article use and modifier placement in phrases such as experienced significant growth and the road crossing the city.
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IELTS Academic Writing Task 1
The maps below describe the city in 1960 and now.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.