Map description - a chart is a type of question that often appears in the IELTS Writing Task 1 test and is an extremely important topic that cannot be ignored. In general, the time to do Task 1 is relatively short, so you need to practice thoroughly and have a direction for doing the test in advance.

1. Overview of the Map format in Writing Task

Map description in IELTS Writing Task 1 is a type of writing that comments on a map within the framework of an essay of no less than 150 words in about 20 minutes. This type of Writing Task 1 is considered a quite difficult type of question, requiring many skills and making many IELTS candidates wary. However, if you know and prepare carefully, this will be a quite good and interesting type of question.

To be able to build a way to write a Map format in Writing Task 1, we will first learn about the types of Maps. There are currently 2 types of Map descriptions, which are: The type with many Maps (also known as the type of Map with changes over time) and the type with only one Map (also known as the type of Map without changes over time). Of which, type 2 often appears less than type 1.

2. Instructions on how to write a Map in Writing Task 1 

Step 1: Analyze the topic

Not only the Map description type but also all types of charts in Writing Task 1, the first thing you need to do is analyze the topic, to determine what type of Map the topic is, whether it changes over time. In particular, you need to pay attention to determine whether this chart is in the past, present or future to determine the tense and conjugate the verb correctly.

Step 2: Write an Introduction for the article

You can write the Introduction by paraphrasing the topic. You can apply 1 of the following 2 tips:

Tip 1: Use synonyms, antonyms, other forms of words

This method will be more suitable for those who have a good vocabulary and can use words flexibly. During the learning process, you should always pay attention to improve your vocabulary as well as practice using new words fluently and naturally.

For example: map = diagram; show = compare; succeed = become successful

Tip 2: Change the structure without changing the meaning of the sentence

You use structures such as passive & active sentences, using dummy subjects (It is + adj/V + to + V), or some sentence patterns with the same meaning as:

There + tobe + a/an + Adj + Noun + in S + Number + Time

= S + V (indicating change) + Adv + Number + Time

= Time + witness/show/experience + a/an + Adj + Noun + in S + Number

After practicing the above 2 tips from IDP, you can use some common opening sentence patterns such as:

The maps + V + how changed + Time = The maps + V + the changes of + [Place] + Time, in which:

V: show/illustrate/demonstrate

Time: over a [number of years]-year period from___ to___/ between___ and___

The given table presents/ witness/ shows

Use relative clauses

Use linking words such as: Even though, In spite of, Because, However,...

Step 3: Write an Overview (general description) for the article

This is the most important part in Task 1, without it, no matter how well-written the Body is, it cannot pass band 5.0. An Overview for the Map type needs to point out the highlights over time (remain the same or change, develop or regress) of buildings, areas or differences between the two maps. Look at and analyze the map to answer questions such as:

Are there any obvious or significant changes in this map?

Are the areas or buildings on this map changing in the direction of development or regress?

Why are those buildings or areas changing like that?

If possible, you should group the changes together. However, you should only write in about 1-2 sentences by analyzing and describing the important and remarkable information that you have exploited in the map instead of describing all the information to avoid wasting time and losing points due to writing more than the specified number of words. At the same time, you should also use synonyms to avoid repeating words in the following part.

 

Another note on how to do Writing Task 1 in the Map format is to only mention the outstanding changes and not go into more depth, because that is the task of the Body section.

Introduction: To help readers visualize this as the Overview section of the article, add words or phrases to identify at the beginning of the sentence, for example:

Looking at the map/ As can be seen from the map/….

In general/ Overall

It is clear that

Another notable feature is…

Describing the change:

You can use some of the following phrases and structures to write the Overview:

S + V + The change [major changes/ striking transformations/ a significant modernization/ remarkable developments/]. V can be [see/ witness/ experience/ show/ display/ present]

Most noticeably, S + V → indicates the most prominent change. You can replace noticeably with other words such as striking, conspicuous, prominent, remarkable, outstanding, salient,...

Step 4: Write Body 1&2 of the article

The Body section is the soul of the essay and will largely determine your writing score. Therefore, this section is very important and requires a lot of skills and a rich vocabulary. The body section usually consists of two paragraphs, each about 3-4 sentences long, which can be divided according to two locations that the topic considers, or divided according to changes in two time periods.

In the Body section, all your skills of analysis, generalization, synthesis and interpretation will be shown on paper for the examiner to evaluate. Note that just writing is not enough, use the words "flexibly" to be highly appreciated.

With each change, you need to answer the following questions:

What is the location being described?

Where is that location on the map?

How has that location changed?