Exam: IELTS Academic
Task: Writing Task 1
Task type: Map comparison
Recommended time: 20 minutes
Word count: At least 150 words
Task
The maps below show changes to Coral Bay Island between 2005 and 2025.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
How to approach this task
Start with a short introduction that paraphrases the question.
Then write a clear overview. Do not list every individual change here. Focus on the overall transformation.
The most important features are:
- Coral Bay Island changed from a largely natural area into a developed tourist destination.
- The central forest was substantially reduced.
- New accommodation, visitor facilities and transport infrastructure were introduced.
- The western beach remained, while a designated swimming area was added offshore.
After the overview, organise the detailed changes logically rather than describing every feature separately.
One effective structure is:
Paragraph 1: changes in the north and centre – the pier, reception, service road and reduced forest
Paragraph 2: changes in the west and south – bungalow developments, restaurant, footpaths, swimming area and redevelopment of the former palm grove
Use appropriate past tenses to describe the changes, including passive forms where appropriate.
Do not explain why the island was developed. Do not give opinions about tourism or the environment. Only report what the maps show.
Useful language
Introducing the maps
The maps show…
The maps compare…
The two maps illustrate how…
The maps show the changes that took place on…
Writing an overview
Overall, the island underwent substantial development.
Overall, Coral Bay Island changed from a largely natural area into a developed tourist destination.
The most noticeable changes were the addition of accommodation and visitor facilities and the reduction in the forested area.
Although much of the island was developed, the western beach remained in place.
Describing additions
was constructed
was built
was added
was introduced
was developed
was extended
was connected by
was created
Describing removals and replacements
was cleared
was reduced
was removed
was replaced by
was converted into
gave way to
was redeveloped for
Describing unchanged features
remained unchanged
remained in the same location
was retained
continued to occupy
was still located
Location language
in the north-east
in the south-east
on the western side
to the west of the forest
to the east of the forest
near the pier
along the coast
in the centre of the island
off the western coast
between the reception and restaurant
Useful comparison structures
whereas
while
by contrast
compared with
in place of
where there had previously been…
the former…was replaced by…
the area that had previously contained…
Practice task
Write your own answer in at least 150 words. Try to include:
a clear introduction
a clear overview
the major changes rather than every small detail
accurate location language
appropriate past tenses and passive forms
clear comparisons between 2005 and 2025
no personal opinion
no invented reasons for the development
What a strong answer should do
A strong IELTS Task 1 response should:
- Identify the island’s overall transformation.
- Highlight the reduction of the forest and the growth of tourist facilities.
- Group related changes instead of listing every feature separately.
- Distinguish clearly between new, removed and unchanged features.
- Use accurate spatial language.
- Support the description with relevant details from both maps.
- Avoid speculation about why the development occurred.
Example answers
Target Band 6.5 model answer
The maps show the changes that happened on Coral Bay Island between 2005 and 2025.
Overall, the island became much more developed for tourists. The forest became smaller and several new facilities were built. However, the beach on the western side stayed in the same place, and a swimming area was added next to it.
In 2005, there was a large forest in the centre of the island and a palm grove in the south-east. There was also a small pier in the north-east. By 2025, the pier had been made longer and a reception building had been built nearby. A service road was also added and went south towards a new restaurant. The forest was still in the centre, but it was much smaller than before.
There were also two new areas of bungalows. One was built on the western side of the forest, while the other replaced the palm grove in the south-east. Several footpaths were added to connect different parts of the island.
Why this is around a target Band 6.5
This answer identifies the main changes and includes a clear overview. It describes the important features accurately and makes relevant comparisons between 2005 and 2025.
The organisation is clear, but the language is fairly straightforward. Vocabulary such as was built, was added, became smaller and new areas is accurate but not especially varied or precise. Some words and grammatical patterns are repeated rather than being paraphrased.
There is a mixture of simple and more complex sentences, but the grammatical range is more limited than in the Band 8.0 response. The answer communicates the information successfully without showing the same flexibility or sophistication as a higher-band response.
These features make it suitable as a Target Band 6.5 teaching model.
Target Band 8.0 model answer
The maps compare Coral Bay Island in 2005 with its appearance following extensive redevelopment by 2025.
Overall, the island was transformed from a predominantly natural landscape into a tourist destination with accommodation, recreational facilities and transport infrastructure. The most striking changes were the substantial reduction of the central forest and the redevelopment of the former palm grove, while the western beach was retained and supplemented by a designated swimming area.
In the north-east, the existing pier was considerably extended, with a reception building constructed immediately inland from it. From there, a service road was introduced, curving southwards towards a new restaurant on the eastern side of the island. At the same time, much of the original central forest was cleared, leaving a significantly smaller wooded area.
Accommodation was developed in two separate locations. One cluster of bungalows was built to the west of the remaining forest, while another occupied the south-eastern site of the former palm grove. These areas were connected by a network of footpaths. Finally, although the beach along the western coast remained in place, a designated swimming area was established just offshore.
Why this is around a target Band 8.0
This response gives a clear and well-developed overview of the island’s transformation rather than simply listing individual changes.
The information is grouped logically into transport and central development, followed by accommodation and recreational changes. This creates a clear progression throughout the report.
The vocabulary is more flexible and precise, with phrases such as predominantly natural landscape, extensive redevelopment, was retained and supplemented by, occupied the south-eastern site, and a network of footpaths.
The response also uses a wide range of grammatical structures accurately and maintains a neutral academic style throughout. It selects the key features without attempting to describe every decorative detail shown on the maps.
These features make it suitable as a Target Band 8.0 model.
Rubric note for students
IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 is assessed using four criteria:
Task Achievement – Have you selected and clearly presented the key features and provided an appropriate overview?
Coherence and Cohesion – Is the information organised logically and linked clearly?
Lexical Resource – Is your vocabulary accurate, varied and appropriate for describing maps and changes?
Grammatical Range and Accuracy – Do you use a range of grammatical structures accurately?
The model answers above are labelled Target Band 6.5 and Target Band 8.0 for teaching purposes. A real IELTS score is awarded by an examiner after considering the complete response against all four assessment criteria.
Quick writing tips
Always include a clear overview.
Do not describe every tree, rock or decorative feature.
Group related changes together.
Mention both what changed and where it changed.
Use appropriate past tenses, including passive forms such as was constructed, was reduced and was replaced where appropriate.
Make it clear that the island changed from a largely natural environment into a developed tourist destination.
Do not invent reasons for the redevelopment.
Keep the report factual, neutral and focused on the maps..
