Writing Task 1: Describing Maps and Process Diagrams

Maps and process diagrams are possible IELTS Academic Task 1 visuals. You may need location, change and stage language; report supplied dates, measurements or other figures when relevant too. Graph language alone does not cover every such task.

Maps may show one plan or an area at different dates. Compare the supplied situations and changes. Choose tense from the dates: the past simple for a completed past, and suitable present/future forms for current or planned situations. The passive voice is often useful when the agent of a change is not given:

• The old cinema was demolished and a multi-storey car park was built in its place.
• The harbour has been significantly extended since 1990.

Process diagrams show how something is made or happens. The present simple passive often fits general manufacturing stages, while natural processes may use the active voice. Choose voice according to the action and the information supplied:

• The beans are sorted, roasted and then ground into powder.

In both formats an overview should briefly summarise the main features. For a changing map, report the overall change; for a static plan, the main spatial features. A change example:

Overall, the town witnessed considerable urbanisation, with green spaces making way for housing.

Summarise the main stages of a process; where supported by the diagram, mention the stage count, start/end or recurring cycle. The eight-stage example below fits only a diagram with that structure:

Overall, the process consists of eight main stages, beginning with collection and ending with distribution.

Describe only the supplied information. Do not add personal opinions or unprovided causes; if the diagram gives a purpose or cause, it can be reported accurately. Relevance and accuracy are assessed across the full response.

The expressions below are useful for map tasks. Many changes can be described in the passive when the agent is not supplied, but not every expression is passive: remain unchanged is active. Choose the construction for the meaning and information given.

To show the degree of the change, add an adverb: completely, partially, significantly:

• The marshland was completely drained during the period.
• The forest was partially cleared for agriculture.

In manufacturing processes, the passive is often useful when the agent is not given. This is not a rule for every process: natural actions may be described in the active. Compare:

• Active: Workers pick the leaves by hand.
• Passive: The leaves are picked by hand.

To link the stages to one another, use these linking expressions:

1. First / Initially, – Initially, the raw materials are transported to the factory.
2. Next / After that, – After that, the mixture is heated to 90 degrees.
3. Once ... has been done, – Once the beans have been roasted, they are left to cool.
4. ..., where ... – The liquid is piped to a tank, where it is filtered.
5. before being + V3 – Before being packaged, the biscuits are inspected.
6. after which – The pulp is washed, after which it is bleached.
7. Finally / In the last stage, – Finally, the products are distributed to retailers.

Two tips: check mechanical repetition of then and choose an appropriate sequencing expression. If an arrow returns, identify which material goes back to which stage; a single return does not prove that the entire process is a continuous cycle. Use the example below only when the diagram shows that continuous cycle:

The leftover material is returned to the beginning of the process, making the cycle continuous.