The two maps below show an island, before and after the construction of some tourist facilities.
Sample Response
The maps illustrate the changes that have occurred on an island due to the building of facilities for tourists. The island originally consisted of just palm trees and the beach, yet now, although the palm trees remain, it hosts a wealth of attractions for holiday makers, from restaurants and swimming to accommodation. The island is approximately 200 metres long, with a small beach on the western tip. It was deserted before, with only a scattering of palm trees. Now though, there is an abundance of places to stay in the form of fifteen beach huts situated in circular patterns in the centre of the island and to the west. Between these two sets of accommodation there is also a new large restaurant and a reception building, both served by new vehicle tracks. Situated in the south is a t-shaped pier for ships to dock, and sailing boats are now evident in this area of the sea. Footpaths have also been constructed, which traverse the island, leading to the new buildings and also the beach, where tourists can now swim.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Correct island length Original: 200 Suggested revision: 250 Why it matters: The scale bar indicates that the island is roughly 250 metres from west to east.
- 2. Improve transition Original: Now though, Suggested revision: Now, however, Why it matters: This punctuation and linker make the contrast with the undeveloped island clearer.
- 3. Use map terminology Original: fifteen beach huts Suggested revision: fifteen accommodation units Why it matters: The map labels these structures collectively as accommodation rather than beach huts.
- 4. Describe one network Original: new vehicle tracks Suggested revision: a new vehicle-track network Why it matters: The map shows one connected track network linking the pier, reception and restaurant.
- 5. Capitalise letter shape Original: t Suggested revision: T Why it matters: The name of the letter used to describe the pier's shape should be capitalised.
- 6. Match the visual Original: ships Suggested revision: boats Why it matters: The visual depicts small sailing boats rather than ships.
- 7. Correct path extent Original: traverse the island Suggested revision: cross the developed part of the island Why it matters: The footpaths cover the western and central development area rather than the whole island.
- 8. Identify path destinations Original: the new buildings and also the beach Suggested revision: the accommodation units and the beach Why it matters: The footpaths link the accommodation and swimming beach, while the vehicle track serves the other buildings.
- 9. Sentence rewrite Original: The island originally consisted of just palm trees and the beach, yet now, although the palm trees remain, it hosts a wealth of attractions for holiday makers, from restaurants and swimming to accommodation. Suggested revision: Overall, the previously undeveloped island gained accommodation, a restaurant, a reception building, a pier and swimming access, while its palm trees remained. Why it matters: This gives a precise overview and avoids overstating the limited facilities as a wealth of attractions.
- 10. Separate overview and details Suggested revision: Divide the response into an introduction, a brief overview, and detail paragraphs covering the island before and after development. Why it matters: The single block is logically sequenced, but paragraphing would make the comparison easier to follow.
Suggested Rewrites
- 200 250
- Now though, Now, however,
- fifteen beach huts fifteen accommodation units
- new vehicle tracks a new vehicle-track network
- t T
- ships boats
Why this response received Band 7.5
The response presents a clear, detailed account of the island’s development, accurately covering the main facilities, transport links, accommodation, and retained natural features. Its main weakness is a small factual inaccuracy in describing the island as about 200 metres long when the scale indicates roughly 250 metres, alongside limited paragraphing. Prioritise checking measurements against the visual and grouping the overview, original state, and changes into distinct paragraphs.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The report offers a strong overview and accurately describes nearly all major changes, including accommodation, facilities, routes, the pier, and swimming access.
Check scale-based details carefully, as the island is approximately 250 metres rather than 200 metres long.
Coherence and Cohesion
The description follows a clear before-to-after progression, and cohesive references connect locations and developments effectively.
Use separate paragraphs for the overview, the original island, and the developed island to make the structural progression clearer.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is flexible and precise, with effective language for location, construction, abundance, and movement across the island.
Prefer neutral descriptive wording over promotional phrases such as “a wealth of attractions” when reporting map features.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide range of complex structures is used accurately, with only minor punctuation or phrasing lapses.
Add commas around interrupting adverbials such as “Now, though,” and continue checking punctuation in longer sentences.
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IELTS Academic Writing Task 1
The two maps below show an island, before and after the construction of some tourist facilities.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.