IELTS Map Task 1: How to Describe Changes to a Place (Band 8 Sample)
Describe IELTS Task 1 maps showing changes over time: location language, passive verbs for development and an original band 8 sample.
Map questions usually show one place at two different times, such as a village in 1995 and today, or a plan for the future. You need two kinds of language: where things are and how they have changed.
The task
The maps below show the town of Westmere in 2000 and in 2025. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Imagine the changes: farmland to the north replaced by a housing estate; a road through the centre turned into a pedestrian street; a new ring road built around the town; the old factory by the river converted into a museum; a park added to the south; the school extended; the railway station unchanged in the east.
The overview for maps
Describe the general direction of change:
Overall, Westmere became considerably more residential and pedestrian-friendly, with farmland replaced by housing and traffic diverted away from the centre.
Band 8 sample answer
The maps compare the layout of Westmere in 2000 with its layout in 2025.
Overall, the town underwent substantial development over the period, becoming more residential and less dominated by traffic. The most notable changes were the construction of a housing estate in the north and a ring road around the town.
In 2000, the area to the north of the town centre was farmland. By 2025, this had been replaced by a large housing estate. To ease congestion, a ring road was built around the town's perimeter, and the main road through the centre was converted into a pedestrian street.
Several existing buildings were also adapted. The factory beside the river was turned into a museum, and the school was extended to the west. In addition, a new park was created in the south. The railway station in the east, however, remained unchanged.
(160 words)
Location language
- Compass points: to the north of, in the south-east, on the western side.
- Position: next to, opposite, beside the river, in the centre, on the outskirts.
- Relative position: between the school and the station, at the end of the main road.
Language of change (mostly passive)
| Change | Verbs |
|---|---|
| New | was built, was constructed, was added, was created |
| Removed | was demolished, was knocked down, was cleared |
| Changed use | was converted into, was turned into, was replaced by |
| Bigger | was extended, was expanded, was enlarged |
| Same | remained unchanged, stayed the same |
Tense guide
- Past to present: past simple (was built) or present perfect (has been built).
- Future plans: will be built, is planned to be, is going to be.
Band 6 vs band 8: the same change
- Band 6: In 2000 there was farm. In 2025 there are houses there.
- Band 8: The farmland to the north of the centre was replaced by a large housing estate.
The band 8 version uses a precise location, a passive verb of change (was replaced by) and combines the two maps in one sentence.
Practice task
The maps show a university campus in 2010 and today. Changes: car park → new library; old library → student café; sports field reduced in size; new bus stop at the main entrance; science building extended to the east.
Write an overview of the general change in one or two sentences (for example, more study and social spaces, less space for cars), then group the changes into new buildings and converted or extended buildings.
Common mistakes
- Describing the two maps separately without linking the changes.
- Vague locations ("there is a park"). Say where it is.
- Mixing up tenses between the two years.
Practise with our writing timer and see the process diagram guide, which uses the same passive structures.