IELTS Writing Task 1 – Map Comparison

Time: You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The map below shows the development of the village of Ryemouth between 1995 and the present.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Write at least 150 words.

Maps of Ryemouth: 1995 and the Present

Two maps comparing Ryemouth in 1995 and the present. Changes include farmland becoming a golf course, a forest park replaced, new tennis courts and car park, shops changed to a restaurant, a fish market and fishing port replaced by apartments, and housing development.
IELTS Writing Task 1 – Ryemouth Model Answer
IELTS Academic Writing · Task 1

The Development of Ryemouth Village

Question: The maps show the development of the village of Ryemouth between 1995 and the present.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Band 8-Style Model Answer

The maps compare the layout of Ryemouth in 1995 with its current appearance, highlighting the changes that have taken place in the village over the intervening period.

Overall, Ryemouth has become more developed for residential and recreational purposes. Several facilities associated with fishing and local commerce have disappeared, while new leisure facilities and housing have been introduced. The main road and hotel remain, although the surrounding land use has changed considerably.

In the north of the village, the farmland to the east has been converted into a golf course, and a tennis court has been added nearby. The forest park that previously occupied the area below the farmland has also disappeared. The housing area in the north-west has expanded, with additional houses constructed beside the existing residential buildings.

In the southern part of Ryemouth, the changes have been particularly noticeable. The shops along the road have been replaced by a restaurant, while the fish market and fishing port beside the sea have been removed and replaced by apartments. A car park has also been built next to the hotel, which remains in its original location. The café near the coast appears to have remained unchanged.

Main changes to remember

IELTS tip: For map-comparison tasks, use past tense for the earlier map and present perfect or present tense for current changes. Group details by location, such as the northern and southern parts of the village, and include a clear overview of the most significant developments.