The maps below describe a town in the Atlantic Ocean affected by a volcanic eruption in 1706.

Practice this IELTS Writing Task 1 question on IELTSX. The maps below describe a town in the Atlantic Ocean affected by a volcanic eruption in 1706.

Maps describe town Atlantic Ocean affected volcanic eruption 1706 - IELTS Writing Task 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

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

Write at least 150 words.

IELTS Writing Task 1 chart for Maps describe town Atlantic Ocean affected volcanic eruption 1706
Chart supplied with the IELTS Writing Task 1 question: Maps describe town Atlantic Ocean affected volcanic eruption 1706

A student's answer to this task, and the feedback on it

Written by an IELTSX user under exam conditions and published unedited and anonymously. Band 7.5 ยท 152 words.

The maps illustrate how a town on the Atlantic Ocean changed after a volcanic eruption in 1706.

Overall, the volcanic eruption caused major changes to the town. Several buildings and roads disappeared, while some new features were built after the disaster. Although the town was heavily damaged, it was later rebuilt in a different way.

Before the eruption, the town had many houses, a church, several roads and a harbour along the coast. Most of these buildings were located close to the sea, and the road network connected different parts of the town.

After the eruption, a large area of the town was covered by lava. As a result, many houses and roads were destroyed. The church also disappeared. During the reconstruction, new houses and roads were built in safer areas, and some public facilities were added. The harbour remained an important feature of the town, although the surrounding area changed considerably.

Examiner feedback

This is a very strong response that clearly and accurately describes the visual information. The structure is logical, and the grammatical control is impressive. To improve, focus on adding more specific geographical details from the maps and using a wider variety of academic vocabulary to describe the process of change.

Task Achievement - 7

- The response covers the main features of the maps, including the destruction of the church and houses and the role of the lava. - A clear overview is provided in the second paragraph, summarizing the transformation. - To reach a higher band, the description could include more specific details about the direction of the lava flow or the exact relocation of the 'new houses' relative to the original ones.

Coherence & Cohesion - 8

- Paragraphing is logically managed, with a clear separation between the 'before' and 'after' states. - Cohesive devices like 'Overall', 'As a result', and 'Although' are used effectively to show relationships between ideas. - The progression from the general overview to specific details is smooth and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource - 7

- Uses a good range of vocabulary related to urban change and natural disasters (e.g., 'reconstruction', 'lava', 'considerably'). - Lexical choice is generally accurate, though more specific terminology for geographical features could enhance the score. - Word formation and spelling are excellent with no visible errors.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy - 8

- Demonstrates a high level of accuracy in using the passive voice (e.g., 'were built', 'was covered') which is appropriate for describing changes. - Sentence structures are varied, mixing simple descriptions with complex conditional or concessive clauses. - Punctuation is used correctly throughout, supporting the clarity of the description.

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