In task 1 of the IELTS writing test, you might be given maps to describe. You will usually be given two of them because the examiners want to see whether you can describe spatial layouts as well as show changes over time.
I covered the language for spatial layout here and I have an overall guide to describing maps here. However, today I want to tell you about changes over time. This requires a good knowledge of verb tense.
2 Past Maps
Firstly, you might be given two maps that both come from the past. In this case, you will need to describe them both and that will require the use of the past simple tense, but you also need to talk about the changes that occurred, which probably will require the past perfect tense.
Here is an example of such a task:
As you can see, the maps both come from the past. If we describe each one individually, we would use the past simple. For example:
- In 1930, there were some shops next to a post office.
- In 2010, there were no shops but there was a post office.
That is fine and you should definitely use this sort of language, but you must remember that you need to demonstrate change over time, and that requires the past perfect tense:
- By 2010, the shops had been removed.
Please note that this is the passive voice as well as the past perfect. This is very common with map descriptions because we can’t exactly say who did the removal.
Here is my sample answer for this essay:
There are two maps depicting the small village of Stokeford. The first one is from 1930 and the second is from 2010. Many changes took place during the intervening years, most notably with the addition of new houses.
In 1930, there was a single road leading through the little village, which was comprised of just ten regular houses and a larger one set among some gardens. There were two shops, a post office, and a primary school, as well as a large amount of farmland all around the village.
Eighty years later, much had changed in the village of Stokeford. The large house had become a retirement home, and its gardens had shrunk to accommodate new houses. A great many new homes had been built along the main road, while several cul-de-sacs had been added with yet more houses constructed along them. The post office and primary school remained, although the primary school had been enlarged. Meanwhile, the shops had disappeared, as had all of the farmland.
Notes
You can see that in paragraph two, where I described the first map, I relied on the past simple tense. In paragraph three, where I showed the changed that had occurred, I relied heavily on the past perfect:
- had changed
- had become
- had shrunk
- had been built
- had been added
Past vs Present
Another common question type shows a map from the past and another from the present. This might require the past simple, present simple, or present perfect tense. In fact, you will almost certainly have to use the present perfect because you will need to show how things have changed between the past and present. For example:
Here, you could use the past simple to talk about the first map:
- There was a fish market by the pier.
You could use the present simple to talk about the second one:
- There are some apartments by the shore.
However, to show the difference, you will need the present perfect tense:
- The fish market has been replaced by some apartments.
Again, this used the passive voice because we don’t know how exactly did this action.
Please note: People commonly confuse the present perfect and past perfect tenses. This is a big mistake and can be very confusing for the reader!
Here is my sample answer:
There are two maps, the first of which shows a village called Ryemouth in 1995 and the second in the present day. Many changes have taken place, particularly in the northeast and along the coastline.
In 1995, Ryemouth was a village on the sea with housing in the north and farmland to the east of it. There was a forest park beside the farmland and, to the south of that, a hotel. A road ran alongside the coast and it had shops, a fish market, and a fishing port there. There was also a café.
Nearly three decades later, the residential area is largely unchanged, although a small number of homes have been added and a road has been built in that area, too. However, much larger changes have taken place where the farmland and forest park were. Now this is a golf course and tennis courts. Along the waterfront, the fishing port has been removed and so has the fish market. In their place are apartments, while across the road the shops have been replaced by restaurants.
Notes
In paragraph two, I used the past simple to talk about how the place looked in 1995. In paragraph three, I switched firstly to the present simple but then used the present perfect tense to show the changes that have taken place:
- have been added
- has been built
- have taken place
- has been removed
Again, this required the passive voice because it’s impossible to say who exactly made those changes.
Present vs Future
Finally, we have maps that show the present and the future. These can be tricky because the future tenses are less common than past and present ones, and also we don’t know 100% what will happen, so sometimes the future tenses may be inaccurate.
Here is an example:
When talking about the present, we will use the present simple, so we might say:
- To the north of the river, there is some farmland.
However, to talk about the future, we can use a range of language:
- To the north of the river, housing may be built.
- To the north of the river, housing will be built.
- To the north of the river, it is expected that housing will be built.
Using a range of language is definitely useful if you want a good score for Grammatical Range and Accuracy.
Sample answer:
The two maps depict an industrial area that is part of a town called Norbiton. One shows its current state and the other shows what it is expected to look like after a proposed development. Many changes are expected to occur, with factories being turned into homes and the addition of various buildings.
At present, the Norbiton industrial area is comprised of a number of factories surrounding a roundabout and road. It is bordered to the north by a river, on the other side of which is farmland. The town itself lies to the west. However, after the development, those factories will either be demolished or turned into housing. Various amenities will also be built. There will be a school in the east, with a playground, a medical centre, and some shops also added. The road network will be expanded somewhat, with a bridge crossing the river and housing built on the other side, as well as westward expansion towards the town.
Notes
I used the present simple to talk about the present but then switched to the future simple for the proposed changes:
- will be demolished
- will be turned into
- will be built
- will be a school
You can read more about this task in my detailed explanation of my Norbiton essay.
Conclusion
As with all IELTS writing tasks, you must think carefully and choose the appropriate grammar. Don’t just memorise structures and reuse the same language. Each map is a bit different and they require different language from process diagrams, line graphs, and so on. You need to think about what you should describe and then choose the right language carefully.
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