IELTS Writing Guide – Task 1 – Maps – Dormitory Building

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. 

The graphs below show the development of a dormitory building between 2007 and present. 

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

Write at least 150 words.

• Do not describe what you see. That’s what most people do and that’s why they always fail to achieve a score higher than 5. Instead, provide analysis showing that you not only completely understand the data but also know how to make it valuable. Although the information in Task 1 is not real, it is not randomly generated as most people think. There is always a message or a theme underneath it.
  
  
• Group the data presented in the graph(s) into meaningful categories. There are typically 2 to 5 of them. Think of yourself as a researcher who draws insights that provide real-world significance, rather than a writer who merely translates graphic information into words.
  
  
• Identify features that are the most important, moderately important, and unimportant. The number of words you use to summarize them should vary according to their respective levels of importance.
  
  
• Pay attention to possible points of comparison and contrast. Task 1 typically includes groups of data that are comparable and contrasting. Comparison focuses on how things are similar to each other. Contrast is centered on how things are different from each other.
  
  
• Draft an outline to help you brainstorm ideas and organize your writing. Some people consider it a waste of time and assume that they can do everything in their heads. However, in a stressful exam environment, it is not uncommon for test-takers to go off-topic without knowing it or to hastily change directions in the middle of writing their answers. Without a written outline to refer to from time to time, they usually end up spending more time on revising their writings than drafting a plan.
  
  

• Which area(s) have been changed in purpose?
• Which area(s) have not been changed in purpose?
• Which area(s) have undergone structural modifications?
• How many categories can you put the areas into?
• If you were the person who made the decision to implement the changes to the dormitory building (e.g., the Dean of Student Affairs), what would have been your reasons?
• How many synonyms can you think of for each of the key terms? (See below for more information.)

See the answers here

* Think of this section as an exercise (or even a game!). See how many synonyms you can come up with before you click to find out the suggested ones. Feel free to share the words not listed here in the comment section below.