IELTS Writing Task 1: The Development of a Coastal Village

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Writing Prompt

The two maps below show the coastal village of Sandbay in 1990 and how it appears in the present day. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

In 1990, a sandy beach ran along the southern edge of the village, beside a small harbour used by fishing boats. A single coastal road connected a handful of cottages in the west to a lighthouse on the eastern point, and open fields lay to the north. Today, the fishing harbour has been enlarged into a marina for private yachts, and a row of hotels and restaurants has been built along the beach in place of the cottages. The fields in the north have been replaced by a large car park and a holiday resort, while the coastal road has been widened, and the lighthouse in the east now stands within a small public park.

Show Band 8–9 model answer

The maps illustrate how the coastal village of Sandbay has been transformed from a modest fishing settlement in 1990 into a modern tourist destination today.

Overall, Sandbay has shifted from a sparsely developed village centred on fishing and open land to a highly developed resort geared towards tourism, with substantial expansion of leisure facilities, accommodation and transport infrastructure.

In 1990, the village layout was simple. A narrow coastal road ran from a small cluster of cottages in the west to a lighthouse on the eastern headland. Along the southern edge, a sandy beach bordered a small harbour serving local fishing boats. The entire northern area consisted of open fields, suggesting limited development and a predominantly rural character.

Currently, the most striking change is the replacement of traditional and agricultural features with facilities for visitors. The former fishing harbour has been significantly expanded into a marina for private yachts, indicating a shift away from commercial fishing. The cottages along the beach have been demolished and substituted with a continuous row of hotels and restaurants, capitalising on sea views and beach access.

Similarly, the open fields to the north have given way to a large car park and an extensive holiday resort complex, providing both access and accommodation for large numbers of tourists. The coastal road has been widened to handle increased traffic, and the lighthouse, though still in place, is now surrounded by a small public park, enhancing its role as a recreational and scenic attraction.

Why this response works

This response fulfils the task by clearly summarising and comparing the main changes in Sandbay across the two time periods, demonstrating strong Task Achievement. The overview effectively identifies the key trend: a shift from a rural fishing village to a tourist resort. Ideas are logically organised, with a clear progression from general description to specific spatial changes, supporting Coherence and Cohesion. A wide range of accurate, topic-specific vocabulary (e.g. “headland”, “capitalising on sea views”, “commercial fishing”) and varied grammatical structures with precise control show strong Lexical Resource and Grammatical Range and Accuracy, appropriate for a high band score.