IELTS Essay Bank · Task 1 Academic · Map
Millfield Town Centre Maps: Band 7 Sample Answer
198 words · Topic: Cities & transport ·
The question
The two maps below show the centre of the town of Millfield as it was in 2005 and as it is today.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.
Map details (summarised):
- Both maps: the River Mill runs along the northern edge, the High Street runs down the eastern side, and a north arrow is shown.
- 2005: a factory in the north-west (just south of the river), a car park in the north-east, an open field in the south-west and houses in the south-east.
- Today: apartments stand where the factory was; the car park in the north-east remains; the open field has become a shopping centre; the houses in the south-east remain.
- Today: a footbridge crosses the river at the northern edge, between the apartments and the car park, and a pedestrian zone runs through the centre between the northern and southern blocks.
Band 7 sample report
Highlighted = useful vocabularyThe maps show how the centre of Millfield has changed between 2005 and the present day.
Overall, the town centre has become more residential and commercial, with the industrial and open land in the west being redeveloped. It has also become more pedestrian-friendly, while the eastern side, next to the High Street, has stayed largely the same.
In 2005, there was a factory in the north-west of the town centre, just south of the River Mill, and an open field in the south-west. Today, the factory has been demolished and replaced by apartments, and a shopping centre has been built on the field. As a result, the western half of the area has changed completely.
Two new features have also been added. A footbridge now crosses the river at the northern edge, between the apartments and the car park, and a pedestrain zone runs through the middle of the town centre, seperating the northern buildings from the southern ones.
In contrast, the east side of the town centre has not changed much. The car park in the north-east is still there, and the houses in the south-east is also remain, both of them next to the High Street.
Word count: 198
Write your own answer → get an AI band score
The same question is ready on its practice page, with a Band 8–9 model answer to compare.
Why this is Band 7: criterion by criterion
Task Achievement
Band 7The report gives a clear overview of the main changes — redevelopment in the west, new pedestrian features, and little change in the east — and every feature on the maps is reported accurately. Key features are clearly presented, and grouping the changes by area makes comparison easy. However, some points could be more fully extended: the river and the High Street are not mentioned as fixed reference points in both maps, and "has not changed much" is vague when in fact the eastern side has not changed at all. This is why Task Achievement is Band 7 rather than 8.
Coherence and Cohesion
Band 7Information is logically organised: after the overview, the report moves from the replaced buildings in the west to the new features, and then to what remains. Each paragraph has a clear central topic, signalled by effective topic sentences ("Two new features have also been added", "In contrast, the east side…"). Cohesive devices such as "As a result" and "both of them" are used appropriately, though the final paragraph's opening could be linked more precisely to the overview. Overall, this is a solid Band 7.
Lexical Resource
Band 6There is an adequate range of map vocabulary, including "being redeveloped", "pedestrian-friendly" and "demolished and replaced by", but lexis is the weakest criterion, at Band 6. The verb "changed" is repeated four times, and there are two spelling errors that a reader notices ("pedestrain" for pedestrian, "seperating" for separating). The phrase "has not changed much" is also imprecise and slightly informal for a report. The errors do not impede communication, but they prevent the precision required for Band 7.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Band 7A variety of complex structures is used with good control: present perfect passives ("has been demolished and replaced by", "has been built"), a "with + noun + -ing" phrase ("with the industrial and open land in the west being redeveloped") and a participle clause ("seperating the northern buildings from the southern ones"). Most sentences are error-free. There are a few errors: "the houses in the south-east is also remain" should be also remain, and the present perfect does not fit with "between 2005 and the present day" in the introduction (has changed since 2005 or changed between 2005 and today). A few errors with good control fits Band 7.
Useful vocabulary and collocations
- being redeveloped
- a key map verb for land that is given a new use.
- pedestrian-friendly
- a compound adjective that summarises two changes (the footbridge and the pedestrian zone) in one word.
- has been demolished and replaced by
- the standard present perfect passive for a building that no longer exists.
- now crosses the river
- "now" clearly marks a new feature without repeating "today".
- runs through the middle of
- a precise verb for roads, paths and zones on a map.
How this report could reach Band 8
- 1Vary the verbs for change — was converted into, made way for, remained intact — instead of repeating "changed", and check spellings of key words like pedestrian and separating.
- 2Be precise about what did not change: say that the car park, the houses, the river and the High Street are unchanged, rather than "has not changed much".
- 3Fix the final-paragraph grammar ("is also remain") and use tenses that match the time phrase in the introduction.
This is an original sample report written by IELTS-Bank to illustrate Band 7 against the public IELTS Writing band descriptors. The band scores are our assessment, not an official IELTS result. IELTS-Bank is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia, or Cambridge University Press & Assessment. "IELTS" is a registered trademark of its respective owners and is used here for descriptive purposes only.