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User-written IELTS example

Writing Academic Task 1 Band 9.0 Example

Original task prompt, user essay, band score, and related examples in the same report workspace.

223 words AcademicTask 1Map
Task 1

Illustrative target band for this original model answer.

Plan your answer

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Ideas to explore

  • Summarise the overall pattern: the village grew substantially between 1868 and 1994.
  • Compare the stages of expansion: early development was limited, followed by growth around the centre and later in several outlying areas.
  • Mention transport changes accurately: the railway was built in 1909 and the motorway in 1970; the park and golf course remained a prominent mapped feature.

Suggested structure

  1. Introduce the map, location and time span.
  2. Give an overview of the main expansion and transport-related changes.
  3. Describe the earliest period and development up to 1922.
  4. Compare the 1922–1970 and 1970–1994 periods, including the directions of later growth.
  5. Finish with a brief summary of the village’s expansion and continuing park and golf course.
Useful vocabulary & examples
built-up area
Land covered by buildings and developed settlement.

The built-up area was limited in the earliest period.

spread around the centre
Expanded outward in places close to the central area.

Development spread around the centre between 1883 and 1922.

in several separate areas
In a number of distinct locations rather than one continuous zone.

From 1970 to 1994, development appeared in several separate areas.

transport links
Routes or services that connect places, such as railways and motorways.

The map shows the railway and motorway as important transport links.

Task Prompt

Chorleywood is a village near London whose population has increased steadily since the middle of the nineteenth century. The map below shows the development of the village.
IELTS Writing Task 1 visual

User Essay Analysis

Review the public answer with report-style highlights.

Band 9.0

The map illustrates the growth and development of Chorleywood village near London from 1868 to 1994. Overall, the village experienced significant expansion, with developments primarily occurring along the main roads and around the railway and the newly built motorway. Furthermore, the village underwent continuous development primarily in four distinct periods, marked by shifts in growth over time. In 1868, development was concentrated around the main roads in the western part of the area. By 1883, it had spread mainly south and east of this area, with a smaller developed section to the north. Following the construction of the railway in 1909, further growth took place along the railway corridor, and Chorleywood Station was established close to the main-road junction. The areas developed between 1922 and 1970 are shown chiefly to the west and south of the station, with development extending farther along the railway. The final period, from 1970 to 1994, saw the broadest spread of new development. It appeared in several areas to the north and east, as well as south-east of the railway. The motorway was built in 1970 and runs north–south through the eastern part of the map. Chorleywood Park and Golf Course remained a prominent open space near the centre. Overall, transport links accompanied the village’s outward expansion, and its built-up area became considerably more extensive by 1994.

Targeted Improvement Tips

1
Reduce repetition in the opening by replacing “growth and development” with one precise noun and using “primarily” only once.
2
For each date range, state the main location of new building relative to a visible feature, such as the station, railway or motorway.
3
Check that the overview names the major overall pattern and the role of transport links, while leaving detailed locations for the chronological paragraphs.

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