Academic Writing Task 1 · map

Changes in the village of Stokeford between 1930 and 2010

The maps below show the village of Stokeford in 1930 and 2010.

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

Stokeford 1930

1930

River Stoke on the west
Bridge in the north
Shops and post office along the road
Primary school in the northeast
Farmland in the north and south
Large house with gardens in the southeast

Stokeford 2010

2010

River Stoke on the west
Bridge in the north
Expanded housing developments throughout the village
Post office remains
Primary school expanded
Retirement home replaced the large house and gardens

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 maps illustrate the transformation of the village of Stokeford over an eighty-year period, from 1930 to 2010. Overall, the village experienced substantial urbanisation, with a notable increase in housing and the conversion of former green spaces into residential areas.

In 1930, Stokeford was a relatively small settlement. The primary infrastructure included a bridge in the north, a primary school, and a cluster of shops and a post office along the main road. The majority of the surrounding land was dedicated to farmland, with a large house and private gardens situated in the southeast. The River Stoke flowed along the western boundary of the village.

By 2010, the village had expanded considerably. The most striking change was the proliferation of new houses, which were built across areas that were previously farmland. While the bridge and the post office remained, the primary school was enlarged to accommodate growth. Furthermore, the large house and its gardens were replaced by a retirement home. The overall layout became more densely populated, reflecting a shift from a rural, agricultural community to a more developed residential village.

182 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.

transformation: a thorough or dramatic change in form or appearance
urbanisation: the process of making an area more like a city
proliferation: rapid increase in the number or amount of something
accommodate: to provide enough space for a particular purpose
densely populated: having a large number of people in one area
notable: worthy of attention or notice; quite remarkable

Write your own report and get a band

Take a timed Academic writing test and get a band for task achievement, coherence, vocabulary and grammar, with the sentences to fix.

Practise IELTS Academic writing

On your phone? Get the BandLadder app.

Frequently asked questions

What should the overview say?

The village of Stokeford underwent significant residential expansion between 1930 and 2010, characterized by the loss of agricultural land and the replacement of the large house with a retirement home.

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.