Academic Writing Task 1 · map

Floor plan changes at the AAA Accountancy main office: IELTS Writing Task 1 sample answer

An IELTS Writing Task 1 map question with a Band 8 sample answer, the chart redrawn with its data, the vocabulary that lifts the report and how to write about maps.
  • 197 words
  • Maps
  • Academic
  • 20 minutes

The question

The two-floor plans show the renovation of AAA Accountancy's main office.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.

AAA Accountancy Main Office Renovation

Before

  • Accounts Office at top-left
  • Processing Office at top-middle-left
  • New Customers Office at top-middle-right
  • Lunch Room at top-right
  • Meeting Room at middle-right
  • Manager's Office at bottom-right
  • Front desk at middle-left
  • Storage Room at middle-center
  • Payroll Office at bottom-middle

After

  • Storage Room at top-left
  • Two large desk clusters in the center
  • Lunch Room at top-right
  • Meeting Room at middle-right
  • Manager's Office at bottom-right
  • Front desk area at bottom-left
  • Sofa area at bottom-center

Chart redrawn by BandLadder from the data in the original IELTS practice task. Many IELTS practice tasks come from the Cambridge IELTS series (Cambridge University Press & Assessment); all rights in the original tasks remain with their owners.

Model answer

Band 8 sample answer

Band 8197 words. Every figure in the answer comes from the chart above.

The provided floor plans illustrate the structural modifications made to the AAA Accountancy main office. Overall, the renovation represents a shift from a compartmentalised office structure to an open-plan design, incorporating more communal spaces and a redesigned entrance area.

In the 'before' layout, the office was divided into several distinct rooms, including the Accounts, Processing, New Customers, and Payroll offices, alongside a storage room. These were arranged along the perimeter and central corridor. The entrance featured a small front desk, while the lunch room, meeting room, and manager's office occupied the eastern side of the building. Desks, fax machines, and copiers were distributed across these individual rooms.

Following the renovation, the internal walls were largely removed to create a spacious open-plan environment. Two large clusters of desks now occupy the central area, replacing the former individual offices. The storage room was relocated to the top-left corner, while the front desk area was expanded into a larger, curved reception space in the bottom-left. Additionally, a new sofa area was introduced in the centre of the office. The lunch room, meeting room, and manager's office remain in their original positions on the eastern side, maintaining the office's overall footprint.

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Maps

How to write about maps: tips and vocabulary

  • →Overview: how much the area changed and what stayed the same.
  • →Use location language: to the north of, adjacent to, replaced by.
  • →Group changes by area or by type, such as housing, roads and green space.
  • compartmentalised

    divided into separate, distinct sections or rooms

  • open-plan

    a large room with few internal walls

  • redesigned

    changed the appearance or structure of something

  • relocated

    moved to a new place or position

  • incorporating

    including something as part of a whole

  • structural

    relating to the arrangement of building parts

Frequently asked questions

What should the overview say?+

The renovation significantly transformed the office layout from a series of individual rooms into an open-plan workspace with a dedicated reception and lounge area.

How many words and how long for IELTS Writing Task 1?+

At least 150 words; 170 to 200 is the safe range. Spend about 20 minutes on it and leave 40 for Task 2, which carries twice the marks.

How is IELTS Writing Task 1 scored?+

On four criteria: task achievement, coherence and cohesion, vocabulary, and grammatical range and accuracy. A clear overview of the main features is what most separates Band 6 from Band 7 and above.

How do I describe maps?+

Overview: how much the area changed and what stayed the same. Use location language: to the north of, adjacent to, replaced by. Group changes by area or by type, such as housing, roads and green space.

Keep practising

More maps

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