[IELTS Writing Task 1] Changes in the town of Youngsville in New Zealand from 1980 to 2005

The maps below show changes in the town of Youngsville in New Zealand from 1980 to 2005.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.

in 2005 Youngsville is a different town than it was in 1980

The maps illustrate development in the coastal town of Youngsville in New Zealand during the period from 1980 to 2005.

The most obvious change is that the town has undergone significant modernisation. A lot of trees and houses have been removed to spare space for constructing new buildings and facilities.

In 1980, trees were everywhere and the main type of building was house. Trees were located mainly alongside the River Alanah while houses were concentrated nearby the coast. There were only some basic facilities including hospital, school, railway station and airport. Basically, the town was a pure residential area.

In contrast, various kinds of construction have been developed over the 25-year period. Trees and small houses have been replaced by new stadium, factories, warehouse and skyscrapers. Some houses have even been demolished for new railway. In addition, transportation has been more convenient due to the existence of extended railway and new marina. (152 words)

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Peter, it is always best to combine the observations that you made, along with the instructions for the discussion in the first paragraph of the essay in order to secure the highest possible task accuracy score. For example, you could have presented this opening statement as follows:

A map for the town of Youngsville in New Zealand covering the years from 1980 - 2005 was presented for analysis. Overall, the town showed continuous improvement to its infrastructure and open spaces throughout this time period. This essay will summarize these improvements and offer comparisons of changes whenever indicated for the reader's benefit.

You will probably notice that my summary accomplishes a number of tasks, namely;
1. Introduce the image supplied
2. Introduce the purpose of the image
3. Briefly explain my observations of the map provided (trend)
4. Outline the upcoming discussion

The aforementioned topic sentences comprise the total summary introduction. I always ask that the students present the summary at the start of the essay because it makes more sense to depict the discussion beforehand as opposed to summarizing after, which makes it more difficult to choose what information you will sum up at the end. With a 3-5 sentence requirement, doing the outline earlier just makes more sense and is easier to accomplish. This also gives you, as the exam taker, a clear guide as to how to develop your essay.

Using my version of the summarized prompt, you would have scored better because you would not need the filler statement in the middle that was only 2 sentences long. Always write 3 sentences within 3-5 paragraphs. For this type of essay, writing 4 paragraphs will be sufficient enough to get you a decent score. The conclusion paragraph is optional in a task 1 essay anyway.