Academic Writing Task 1 · map

A detailed layout plan for the development of a new town

The picture below shows the plan for a new town.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.

Plan for a new town

New Town Plan

Housing (H) located in various clusters throughout the town
Ring Road (RR) encircling the central area
Roads (R) connecting the center to the outer areas
Industry (I) situated in the top-left and bottom-right corners
Parking (P) located near the central bus stand
Bus stand (B) positioned in the central hub
Recreational areas (striped) located in the central and lower-middle sections

Chart redrawn by BandLadder from the data in the original IELTS practice task. Many IELTS practice tasks come from the Cambridge IELTS series (Cambridge University Press & Assessment); all rights in the original tasks remain with their owners.

Band 8 sample answer

The provided diagram illustrates the proposed layout for a new town, highlighting the strategic distribution of residential, industrial, and transport infrastructure. Overall, the plan is structured around a central hub, with a ring road facilitating movement between the inner and outer sectors of the town.

Residential housing (H) is the most prominent feature, occupying multiple clusters across the town's quadrants. These housing blocks are interspersed with other facilities to ensure accessibility. In the heart of the town, there is a central area containing a bus stand (B) and parking facilities (P), which serves as the primary transport node. Adjacent to these transport amenities are recreational areas, indicated by striped markings, providing leisure space for residents.

Regarding industrial development, two distinct zones are designated for industry (I). One is situated in the top-left corner, while the other is located in the bottom-right, effectively separating heavy activity from the residential clusters. The town's connectivity is maintained by a ring road (RR) that encircles the central hub, intersected by several main roads (R) that radiate outwards, ensuring efficient traffic flow between the residential, industrial, and central zones.

184 words. Every figure in the answer comes from the chart above.

How to write about maps

Overview: how much the area changed and what stayed the same.
Use location language: to the north of, adjacent to, replaced by.
Group changes by area or by type, such as housing, roads and green space.

interspersed: scattered among or between other things
prominent: important, famous, or noticeable
relegated: assigned to a lower or less important position
facilitating: making an action or process easier
connectivity: the state of being connected or interconnected
radiate: spread out from a central point

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Frequently asked questions

What should the overview say?

The proposed town plan features a central hub surrounded by a ring road, with residential zones distributed throughout and industrial areas relegated to the periphery.

How long should an IELTS Task 1 answer be?

At least 150 words; 170 to 200 is the safe range. Spend about 20 minutes on it and leave 40 for Task 2, which carries twice the marks.

How do I describe maps?

Overview: how much the area changed and what stayed the same. Use location language: to the north of, adjacent to, replaced by. Group changes by area or by type, such as housing, roads and green space.