IELTS language bank: Task 1 Maps

A map's specific describing challenge is entirely spatial: unlike a line graph, bar chart, pie chart, or table, a map task asks a candidate to describe where something happened as precisely as what happened, and a reader who cannot see the map needs enough locational detail to reconstruct roughly what changed and in which part of the area shown. This is the one Task 1 chart type genuinely unrelated to numerical data at all, and candidates who default to the vocabulary they've drilled for graphs — "increased," "a significant proportion of" — find almost none of it applies. This bank covers transformation verbs for describing change to a physical space, spatial and directional language for locating that change, the before-and-after comparative structure maps specifically need, and the passive-voice pattern that dominates this chart type more than any other.

For describing a location or structure that has changed, transformation verbs are the core vocabulary this chart type owns entirely: "was converted into," "was transformed into," "was replaced by," "gave way to," "was demolished," "was constructed," "was built," "was established," "was relocated," "was widened," "was extended," and "was redeveloped as" each describe a distinct kind of physical change. "Was converted into" and "was transformed into" both suit a change of use for an existing space without necessarily implying demolition, useful for a field becoming a car park or a warehouse becoming an apartment block; "was demolished" followed by "was replaced by" or "gave way to" suits a location where the original structure was removed entirely before something new appeared. "Was widened" and "was extended" suit roads, paths, and similar linear features that changed in scale rather than kind.

For features that disappeared or appeared with no clear replacement named, "disappeared entirely," "was removed," "no longer exists," and "emerged where [feature] once stood" all work without forcing an artificial before-and-after pairing onto a change that the map doesn't actually show as a direct replacement: "The old railway line disappeared entirely from the later map, with no equivalent transport link shown in its place."

For spatial position, "located to the north/south/east/west of," "situated in the centre of," "adjacent to," "bordering," "along the eastern edge of," "in the vicinity of," "running parallel to," and "directly opposite" all establish precisely where a feature sits relative to another labelled feature on the map, which is essential since a map description with no spatial anchoring at all is nearly impossible for a reader to follow. Combining a spatial phrase with a transformation verb in the same sentence is the single most useful habit for this chart type: "The area to the south of the river, previously occupied by open farmland, was developed into a residential district."

For describing movement or a route across the map rather than a single fixed location, "runs from X to Y," "passes through," "was rerouted around," and "now bypasses" describe roads, paths, or transport lines specifically: "The main road, which previously ran directly through the town centre, was rerouted around it, and now bypasses the centre entirely via a new ring road to the south."