IELTS Map Vocabulary

Before we look at the finer parts of how to write about an IELTS map, let’s think
about the basic features of these maps and the IELTS map vocabulary used to
describe them. In a nutshell, most IELTS maps will show a large location with
buildings and other specific types of areas and locations. And typically, there will
actually be two maps: a before and after map.

With that in mind, there are three major important categories of vocabulary for
describing such maps. For each of the three categories below, I’ve given a partial
list of the kids of words you might use. This should give you a general idea, and I
would encourage you to think up additional similar words on your own.

Words that Describe the Places

NOUNS:

● building
● housing
● business
● region
● forest
● river
● lake
● entrance
● exit
● road
● bridge
● complex
● district
● facility
ADJECTIVES:

● larger
● smaller
● longer
● shorter
● urban
● rural
● crowded
● broad
● narrow

Words that Describe the Locations of Places

COMPASS WORDS:

● north
● east
● south
● west
● northeast
● southwest

NOTE: Even if a compass does not appear on a map,

you can assume that up is north, down is south, left is
west, and right is east.
DIRECTIONAL WORDS AND PREPOSITIONS:

● left
● right
● above
● below
● inside
● around
● adjacent
● near
● opposite
● across from

Words that Describe Actions and Change

● built
● constructed
● replaced
● extended
● removed
● expanded
● demolished
● renovated
● newly
● mostly
● significant
● substantial
How to describe the change

You might get different kinds of maps with various objects on

them. Here is the language you can use to describe them.

1) demolish – to completely destroy a building, especially in

order to use the land for something else:

“The old school was demolished to build a new one.”

2) flatten – to become level or to cause something to become

level:

“The whole area was flattened – not a building left standing.”

3) replace with – to take a place of something, to put

something in the place of something else:

“The old warehouses were replaced with new blocks of flats.”

4) renovate – to repair and improve something, especially a
building:

“The existing buildings are being renovated.”

5) build/construct – put together different parts to make

something whole:

“A new factory was constructed south of the residential area.”

“A local history museum is planned to be built instead of the ruined military base.”

6) reconstruct – to build again something that has been

damaged or destroyed:

“The city was reconstructed in the post-war period.”

7) develop – grow or change into something more advanced:

“The maps illustrate how the Danish village of Solvang has developed from 1967
to the present moment.”

8) develop into – to build houses, factories, etc. on the piece

of land:

“The whole site will be developed into a shopping complex.”

9) extend – to add to something in order to make it bigger or
longer:

“The school was extended to add a new gym and a canteen.”

10) expand – to increase in size, number, or to make

something increase in this way:

“The number of stores expanded significantly in the 1990s.”

11) relocate – to move something from one place to another:

“There are plans to relocate the main runway at the airport.”

12) convert into – to change in form, appearance, operation of

something:

“At the end of the 1990s, old industrial buildings were converted into art spaces.”

13) modernize – to make something more modern:

“The park was modernized by converting the dirt paths into new cycling lanes
and concrete footpaths.”

14) open – start, begin:

“A new hospital was opened next to the school.”

15) set up – to arrange or establish something:

“A new beach was set up on the bank of the river.”

16) remain – to stay in the same place or in the same

condition:

“The church has remained where it was, behind the residential area and the
supermarket, making it easily accessible to the congregation.”

 How to Write About an IELTS Map

How to write a map essay in IELTS involves a simple 5 step process:

1. Get Fluent in Basic IELTS Map Vocabulary

Develop your skills and knowledge for words that describe places, where places
are located in relation to each other, and how places change in IELTS Writing
maps. The lists I’ve provided are a great place to start.

2. Understand the Objectives

To tackle the challenge of describing a map for the exam, you must understand
the objectives of the task at hand. Importantly, while 75% of your score
represents your linguistic performance (coherence and cohesion, vocabulary,
and grammar), 25% depends on your achievement of the task.

With this in mind, check out the image below:

If we want to consider key features or trends, it wouldn’t be enough to say that
there are rides, recreational areas, and places where goods can be purchased.
This doesn’t provide any overviews; it simply lists elements. Noting patterns and
overall “trends” requires looking at the bigger picture, not isolated elements. An
overview might point out instead that rides and tours tend to be farther from the
parking area (i.e. the roller coaster, Ferris wheel, and magic castle), and that
places where visitors can rest are closer to the theme park entrance (i.e. the food
court and the playground/picnic area).

But you probably won’t be given an image and simply told, “describe it.” Instead,
you will be given a specific task, and you will use the information in the image to
complete it. For example, for the image above, a the full task is actually to
describe the key features and differences between the current layout of the
theme park, and the way the theme park will look after some planned future
changes.

3. Go Beyond Naming

Ultimately, your task requires more than mere description. While nouns are
obviously important (for naming various structures and natural elements and their
basic positions on the map), task completion involves more than listing items.
Describing trends, differences, or stages requires noting the relationship among
elements and between images for comparison. Remember, there’s far more to
IELTS Writing Task 1 vocabulary than just the names of things.

Imagine that your task is to examine before and after illustrations of a

neighborhood over the course of a century.
For this task, it is clearly not enough to name what is new. Don’t just describe
what’s there, describe the relationship between what’s there.

For example, do not simply say “there is an office complex that wasn’t there
before.” What relationship does this have to the big picture? Remember, you
must be able to provide an overview.

NO: YES:

There was a cannery. The cannery was along the northwest side of Oak
Avenue.

There is a main road and The main road is connected to side roads that are
side roads. closer to the lake and river.

There is a petrol station. There is a petrol station on the other side of the
road from the Yang Office Complex.

There are two shops. The main road currently has two shops between
some apartment buildings and homes.

There was a smaller The smaller elementary school sat on the north side
elementary school. of Miller’s Lake.

4. Describe the Changes Between the Two Maps

But, wait! Your overview shouldn’t just mention elements and their relationship to
one another. How are the elements that you’re describing relevant to the prompt?
What changes have been made? We must connect these observations to the
before and after context, reflecting change:

● The cannery along the northwest side of Oak Avenue was replaced by an
office complex.
 ● The main road is connected to side roads that are closer to the lake and
river. In the second map, the road that ended near the river now goes over
the river via bridge.
● There is a petrol station on the other side of the road from the Yang Office
Complex, where the elementary school had been on the older map.
● The main road currently has two shops, where previously there had been
just one shop. These shops sit between the more recently constructed
apartment buildings and an expanded set of homes.
● The smaller elementary school on the north side of Miller’s Lake was
expanded and moved to the east side of the lake.

Now that’s more like it! Always remember that the IELTS Writing Task 1 map
comparison between the old and new features is very important.

5. Put These Skills Together into a Full Report.

At this point, you’ve mastered the basic vocabulary, made your descriptions of
the places on the map more detailed, and learned to describe change between
two maps. Of course, these are just a few of many ways you could describe the
map above. Your final step is to apply all this knowledge to map essays of your
own creation.

Final Takeaways for Using IELTS Writing Task 1 Map

Vocabulary

Main takeaways for using IELTS map vocabulary to compare and describe an
IELTS map:

1. Remember that the examiner is looking for an overview with main points,
not an exhaustive list of elements.
(Notice, for example that I didn’t precisely quantify housing units, describe
exact comparative distances, or give the exact names of every location.)
2. Think of the big picture. Rather than focusing on what’s there, think about
how they’re related to the overall developments.
3. Don’t forget your primary task – What changes have been made? What
occurred, resulting in the differences you see?