The diagram shows the changes that have taken place at West Park Secondary School since its construction in 1950.
Sample Response
The presented diagrams illustrate the changes West Park Secondary Schoolthe West Park Secondary School has undergone since its establishment in 1950. Overall, it is evident that the school facilities were expandedthe school area was expanded and the areas for the playground and sports field contracted. As can be seen from the diagrams, the first time different modifications were made to the school grounds werethe school ground was in 1980, when a new car park and science block were constructed where a group of housesresidential houses used to be. The nearby farmland was also converted into a sports field. In 2010, the most significant alteration to the school territory was the enlargement of the car parkenlargement of the parking spot, which then covered the entire old sports field. In addition, the size of the playground was reducedthe playground had been reduced to make room for a new sports field. To summarise, over the years West Park Secondary School has built and expanded some new facilities, such as the car park and science block, but at the same time, its playground and sports field have been reduced in size.
Why this response received Band 8.0
The response gives a clear overview and accurately traces the school's major changes from 1950 through 1980 to 2010, including the replacement of houses and farmland and the later expansion of parking. Its strongest feature is precise, economical selection of all significant alterations. The main refinement is to note unchanged features explicitly and use slightly more exact map terminology for the car park and school grounds.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The overview and chronological details accurately cover all major conversions and reductions, with only the unchanged main road and main school building left implicit.
Add one concise comparison noting that the road and main building remained in place throughout the period.
Coherence and Cohesion
The report progresses smoothly from overview through the 1980 and 2010 changes to a concise synthesis, although all content appears in one paragraph.
Separate the overview from the chronological details to make the already clear structure easier to scan.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is varied, accurate, and appropriately concise for a map report, with only minor choices such as 'parking spot' sounding less precise.
Use consistent map terms such as 'car park,' 'school grounds,' 'converted into,' and 'remained unchanged.'
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide range of structures is used accurately, with only minor article and tense choices that do not affect clarity.
Refine the opening article use and prefer simple past for completed 2010 changes unless an earlier past reference requires past perfect.
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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.