The maps below show an industrial area in the town of Norbiton, and planned future development of the site.
Sample Response
The map illustratesdemonstrates the currenta present and a planned future development of an industrial area in the town of Norbiton.
Overall, it can be concluded that the future planthe planned future has more unique features, whereas the Norbiton industrial area now has fewer industrial facilitiesfewer industrial. DeleteIn addition, both maps have unique features, but one more than the other.
In contrast to today's industrial area, the planned future has constructed a new road and bridge crossing the river to the northadded a new tool on the north of the factory. Furthermore, a playground and a school have been added toon the north, while at presentduring the present there were fewer facilities.
Looking at the southern sectionMeanwhile, in the southern part of the map, the factories are planned to be demolishedthe factory was expanded, replacing factories with housing, and shops have been added.replacing factories with housing; moreover, shops have been added. In contrast to today's development, there were several factories arranged around a roundabout and a main road.there was practically nothing except for a factory.
In summary, it can be concluded that the future plan has more residential facilitiesupgraded features. For example, in today's area there are multiple factoriesthere is a factory, while in the future, instead of upgrading the factory, these will be replacedthey replaced it with houses.
Why this response received Band 5.0
The response successfully identifies some key changes, such as the addition of housing, a school, and a playground. However, it is severely limited by inaccurate descriptions of the visual data, such as misidentifying a new bridge and road as a 'tool' and claiming the factories were expanded when they were actually demolished. To improve, focus on precise vocabulary for map features and ensure all geographical changes are described accurately according to the map legend.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The candidate attempts to address the task but introduces significant inaccuracies. For example, a new road and bridge crossing the river to the north is described as 'a new tool', and the text incorrectly states that 'the factory was expanded' when in fact all factories are slated for demolition to make way for housing.
Carefully study the map legend and labels. Ensure you describe the actual structures (e.g., housing, bridge, medical centre) rather than guessing or using vague terms like 'tool'.
Coherence and Cohesion
The essay has a basic structure with an introduction, body paragraphs, and a summary. However, the overview is repetitive and lacks clarity, and cohesive devices are sometimes used mechanically or inappropriately.
Avoid repetitive overview statements like 'both maps have unique features, but one more than the other'. Instead, write a clear summary of the main trend (e.g., the transformation of an industrial zone into a residential area).
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is limited and repetitive. Words like 'features' and 'factory' are overused, and there are inappropriate word choices such as 'fewer industrial' and 'tool' (referring to the bridge/road extension).
Build a vocabulary bank for map tasks, including verbs of change (demolished, replaced, constructed, expanded) and nouns for infrastructure (bridge, roundabout, medical centre).
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
The response contains several grammatical errors, particularly in sentence structure, preposition usage, and tense consistency (e.g., mixing 'during the present' with past tenses).
Practice using passive voice to describe planned changes (e.g., 'the factories will be replaced by housing') and master prepositions of place (e.g., 'to the north of', 'in the south-west').
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IELTS Academic Writing Task 1
The maps below show an industrial area in the town of Norbiton, and planned future development of the site.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.