The maps below show the changes in the town after the construction of a hydroelectric power dam

Town Changes Hydroelectric Power Dam Construction Map/Plan - 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.

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 8 · 199 words.

The maps illustrate the layout of a town in 1980 before the construction of a hydroelectric power dam in 2000.

Overall, it is noticeable that the town has undergone significant changes over time. The area was once dedicated to farming, but then transformed into a more modern place with the introduction of a lake and other facilities.

In 1980, there was a forest and ancient structures in the northern part of the town. The central part was used as an area for irrigated farmland, and it was a home for rare plants and animals. A village was located in the east, right beside the farmland. Mountains were situated on the right side of the river in the north and in the south.

In 2000, there had been several noticeable changes in the layout of the town. The village was relocated to the southern part, and a hotel had been built in its old location. The northern and central parts of the area had been turned into a massive lake, and a hydroelectric dam had been constructed where the river pours into the lake in the south. Moreover, transmission towers had been introduced in the southern part of the area.

Examiner feedback

This is a very strong Band 8 response. It accurately captures the transformation of the landscape, provides a clear overview, and uses sophisticated grammatical structures like the past perfect to denote changes that had occurred by 2000. To reach Band 9, you could use even more precise spatial vocabulary and vary the sentence openers slightly more.

Task Achievement - 8

- The response covers all key requirements of the task, including a clear overview of the main changes. - Key features such as the transformation of farmland into a lake and the relocation of the village are clearly highlighted. - All data and geographical changes are accurately reported from the maps. - The description of the dam's impact (submerging the central area) is well-handled.

Coherence & Cohesion - 8

- Information is organized logically, with separate paragraphs for the two time periods (1980 and 2000). - There is a clear progression from the description of the original state to the subsequent developments. - Cohesive devices like 'Overall', 'In 1980', and 'Moreover' are used effectively. - Paragraphing is appropriate and aids the readability of the report.

Lexical Resource - 8

- A wide range of vocabulary is used, including specific terms like 'undergone significant changes', 'irrigated farmland', 'relocated', and 'transmission towers'. - Lexical choices are mostly accurate and natural for an academic report. - There is successful use of less common items related to map descriptions ('layout', 'situated', 'introduced').

Grammatical Range & Accuracy - 8

- A wide variety of structures is used, including passive voice and past perfect tense to describe changes over time. - The majority of sentences are error-free. - Punctuation is used correctly throughout the text, and complex sentence structures are handled with high accuracy.

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