IELTS ACADEMIC WRITING TASK-1 MAP TIPS

 For Telling Position and Location:

… lies/is located/is situated/is sited + to the right of/to the north of/around/below/inside/near …

north, south, east, west, northeast, northwest, southeast, southwest

 at the top/bottom 

on the right/left side

 in the top/bottom right/left hand corner

 120 miles from 

120 miles to the right of 

102 miles north of

 in the middle / at the centre 

along / off 

across [from]

 opposite 

close to / near / in the vicinity of

 adjacent to / next to / beside

 … is surrounded by…

 … is covered with …

 … is connected to … via/through/by means of …

Examples: 

A hospital lies 100 miles east of the forest.

 A library has been built to the left of the clockhouse. 

The school is located across from the forest. 

The apartments are connected to the city hospital via a number of access roads. 

The city is surrounded by forest.

Useful Vocabulary for Describing Maps:

  •  Residential/housing area: an area that has lots of houses and some schools.
  •  Industrial area: an area that has lots of factories 
  • Commercial area: an area that has lots of stores
  •  Hospital: a health facility where patients receive treatment
  •  Zoo: a place where people can go and see many kinds of animals 
  • Post office: a place where you can send mail (letters and packages) 
  • Fire station: a station housing fire apparatus and firemen 
  • Airport: an airfield equipped with control tower and hangers as well as accommodations for passengers and cargo 
  • Park: a recreational area where people can play football and have picnics 
  • Skyscraper: a very tall building 
  • Warehouse: a building where things are kept until they are sold. Parking lot: an area where people can park cars 
  • Museum: a place that displays things of scientific or historical or artistic value
  •  Supermarket: a large store that sells mostly food but sometimes other items such as clothes and furniture.
  •  Factory: an industrial plant, a production facility, 
  • Woodland: an area with lots of trees River: a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek) 
  • Intersection/Junction: the point where several streets meet. 
  • Facilities: recreation/recreational facilities, entertainment facilities, transport Facilities, medical facilities, educational/academic facilities
  •  Remove: remove something concrete, as by lifting, pushing, taking off, etc. 
  • Develop: to make Change: modify Construct: to build 
  • Relocate: to move a structure or facility to a different location 
  • Demolish: to destroy a building or other structure completely 
  • Replace: to take the place of or substitute for somebody or something
  •  Expand: to become or make something become larger 
  • Convert: turn into something else
Additional map vocabulary:

There are various phrases that can be used to explain things. But there are certain words which can be used to describe the IELTS map or a diagram which are as follows:

Adverbs and Prepositions

·         North/South/East/West

·         Upstairs/Downstairs

·         Clockwise/Anticlockwise

·         To the north/To the south/To the east/To the west

·         Across the road

·         Before you get to

·         In the middle of = in the centre of

·         Just beyond = a little beyond = just past

·         Inside/Outside

·         To the left of/ To the right of

Verbs

·         Go up/Go down

·         Start by

·         Is located = is situated = lies = there is = is

·         Run through = cross = pass through = go through

·         Cross = pass over = cut across

Nouns

·         Crossroad = intersection = junction

·         Hosing area = residential area = sleeping area

·         Entrance = doorway

·         Path = way

·         Roundabout

·         Area = field = zone

·         Site = place = location

·         Edge = boundary = end = fringe

Sentences

·         The railway runs through the pass-through/ crosses/ goes through Z.

·         A hospital is located in the northeast of the town.

·         A hospital is situated in the northeast of the town, just behind the housing area.

·         A hospital is located in the northeast of B, which has a lot of population.

·         A hospital is located in the centre of the town, which has a railway running through it from north to south.

Paraphrasing

You need to be careful while paraphrasing the sentences. Sometimes the words that you paraphrase may not be appropriate

·         Town centre = city centre may be the wrong word used because the town cannot be a city. So the correct paraphrasing should be the centre of the town

Map Location

·         Situated

Eg: The hospital  is situated near the bridge.

·         Located

Eg: Finally! he located the post office.

·         Vicinity

Eg: Many apartments are there in the vicinity where I live.

·         Northeast

Eg: Assam is situated in the Northeast of India.

·         Southeast

Eg: In India, the temple has to be in the Southeast corner.

·         Northwest

Eg: Punjab is situated in the Northwest of India.

·         Southwest

Eg: He refurbished the Southwest area of the house.

·         North

Eg: The cyclone is moving towards the north.

·         South

Eg: He hails from the deep south.

·         East

Eg: The sun rises in the east.

·         West

Eg: The suns sets in the west.

 

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