The diagram shows the changes that have taken place at West Park Secondary School since its construction in 1950.
Sample Response
The three mapsgiven pictures illustrate the various changesdevelopments of West Park Secondary School in 1950, 1980 and 2010from 1950 to 2010. Overall, it is clear that the main road remained in place throughout the periodover the given period of time and itIt is also apparent that the school expandedwas developed and increased in size while both the sports field and playground became smallerareas of the sports field and playground decreased.
To begin, there were three housesthree rows of houses in 1950 which were replaced bywhich were converted into a car park and a science blockcar parking lot and science block in 1980. There was farmland south of the housesnear the houses in 1950 but it was altered into a sports field in 1980. The sports field was then being replaced by a bigger area for car parking in 2010.
Furthermore, the school in 1950 had one main buildingone large block which later gainedlater on took an additional block called the science blockcalled science block. After the science block was addedAfter the emergence of the science block, there was no place for housing. The playground area remained unchanged from 1950 to 1980 but was reduced in size as the remaining area was used as a sports field in 2010.
Why this response received Band 7.0
The response gives a clear overview and logically traces the main site changes across the three years, with most locations described accurately. Its main limitation is occasional imprecision, particularly the claim that the sports field was replaced rather than partly reduced and relocated, alongside several awkward grammatical and lexical choices. Prioritise exact spatial descriptions of what was retained, converted, expanded, or moved.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
A clear overview and generally accurate coverage identify the major developments across all three maps.
Describe the 2010 change more precisely by explaining that the car park expanded over most of the former sports field while a smaller field occupied part of the playground.
Coherence and Cohesion
The response progresses logically from an overview to grouped descriptions of the western and eastern parts of the site.
Use more specific comparative links between years instead of relying on general openers such as 'To begin' and 'Furthermore'.
Lexical Resource
A sufficiently varied vocabulary describes change with terms such as 'converted', 'altered', and 'reduced', despite a few awkward collocations.
Choose more natural phrases such as 'a car park was added' and 'the school gained a science block'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A mix of simple and complex structures communicates the changes clearly, though article use and verb forms are not consistently controlled.
Review articles and aspect in phrases such as 'a car park' and 'was partly replaced' to improve grammatical accuracy.
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IELTS Academic Writing Task 1
The diagram shows the changes that have taken place at West Park Secondary School since its construction in 1950.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.