The map is of the town of Garlsdon. A new supermarket (S) is planned for the town. The map shows two possible sites for the supermarket.
Sample Response
The map shows two possible sitespotential locations (S1 and S2) for a new supermarket in the town of Garlsdona town called Garlsdon.
The main difference between the two sites is that S1 is outside the town, whereas S2 is in the town centre. The sites can also be compared in terms of access by road andor rail, and their positions relative to three smaller towns.
Looking at the information in more detail, S1 is in the countryside to the north west of Garlsdon, but it is adjacent to Garlsdon’s housing areaclose to the residential area of the town. S2 is also close to the housing area, which surrounds the town centre.
There are main roads from Hindon, Bransdon and Cransdon to Garlsdon town centre, but this is a traffic-free zoneno traffic zone, so there would be no direct car access to S2no access to S2 by car. By contrast, S1 lies on the main road to Hindon, but it would be less directly accessible by road from Bransdon and Cransdonmore difficult to reach from Bransdon and Cransdon. Both supermarket sites are close to the railway that runs through Garlsdon from Hindon to Cransdon.
Why this response received Band 8.0
The response gives a clear overview of the central contrast between the two sites and develops it with accurate comparisons of location, road access, housing, and rail connections. Organisation is effortless and the language is precise, varied, and highly controlled. To strengthen an already accomplished report, the writer could incorporate one or two relevant distance or population details to sharpen the accessibility comparison.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The response selects and compares the principal location and access features accurately, with a clear overview and well-chosen supporting detail.
Add a selective distance or population figure where it clarifies the relative market access of the two sites.
Coherence and Cohesion
Information is sequenced logically across focused paragraphs, and cohesive devices guide the comparison without drawing attention to themselves.
Maintain this structure while making the final comparison slightly more synthesizing rather than ending on a shared feature.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is flexible and precise, particularly for spatial relationships, transport access, and direct comparison.
Refine the description further with an occasional concise term for each site's potential catchment area.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide range of complex structures is used accurately, with consistently clear punctuation and sentence control.
Continue varying comparative structures while preserving the same high level of accuracy and readability.
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IELTS Academic Writing Task 1
The map is of the town of Garlsdon. A new supermarket (S) is planned for the town. The map shows two possible sites for the supermarket.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.