The maps below shows university sports courts in 1990 and now.
Sample Response
The maps describeThe map describes how a university sports complexa university sports courts area has changed from 1990 to the present day. Looking from an overall perspective, it is readily apparent that the total number of courtsnumber of total courts for tennis and basketball has increased replacing the car park and parkat the expense of parking and a park, while a main sports buildinga formal building with a fitness centrewith a gym now houses various exercise facilities. These changes allow for a wider range of activitiesmore varied activity.
In 1990, on the left side of the map was a park with trees and grass as well as a car park. Today, the park has been replaced by a large basketball court and the car park by 4 tennis courts.
On the right side of the map, a structure to contain the various athletic facilities has been erected with only the indoor pool and reception area in the same position in the new building. The changing room beneath the reception area and pool has been lengthened and moved slightly to the right so as to line up directly above a new, large fitness centre. The fitness centre has replaced two tennis courts, now outside the main building.
Why this response received Band 8.0
The response is well organised by location and accurately explains most major replacements, using varied language and complex sentences with strong control. Its main limitation is visual accuracy: it treats the pool as unchanged and omits the café, although the map shows the outdoor pool becoming indoor while the café remains. Prioritise checking every unchanged and altered feature before finalising the overview and details.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The overview and details cover most major changes accurately, but the outdoor-to-indoor pool change is misstated and the unchanged café is omitted.
Systematically check every labelled feature so the report distinguishes unchanged locations from facilities whose function changed.
Coherence and Cohesion
The response progresses clearly from an overview to left-side and right-side changes, with effective referencing and paragraphing.
For even sharper progression, keep the unchanged features together before describing the replacements in each area.
Lexical Resource
A wide and precise range of change and location vocabulary is used naturally, with only minor awkwardness in a few descriptions.
Refine phrases such as 'university sports courts area' and 'formal building' into more exact map-report wording.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Complex sentence structures are varied and well controlled, and the few minor awkward constructions do not impede communication.
Polish noun phrases and agreement in the opening sentence while maintaining the same range of controlled complex structures.
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IELTS Academic Writing Task 1
The maps below shows university sports courts in 1990 and now.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.