Australian Beachfront Area Maps 1950 and Today

The maps below show a beachfront area in Australia in 1950 and the same area today.

IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 question image

Annotated response

4 correction notes

Showing 4 correction notes.

The maps highlight the changes to an Australian beachfront . In general, we can see that there have been many new buildings and facilities, as well as an extension of the road and a swimming pool.

Firstly, the playground that was situated next to the main road in 1950 has been replaced by a second car park with the first remaining untouched in its position next to the pavilion. Secondly, the road that previously stopped at one of the car parks has been extended

Meanwhile, on the western side of the beachfront, a new restaurant and surf club building have been erected. The 50m pool which sits has been enlarged by twice its previous length of 25m in 1950. Another surf club has also been built next to the lighthouse, whose position has not been altered. The dining tables, pavilion and 25m pool next to the lighthouse have also remained untouched.

Overall assessment

Why this response received Band 7.0

The response provides a clear overview and selects most key changes from the maps with generally accurate comparisons, showing solid task understanding. The main limitation is some imprecise phrasing, such as describing the pool as enlarged 'by twice its previous length', and occasional grammatical slips that keep the language short of fully flexible control.

IELTS criteria

How each score was decided

Task Achievement

7.0

The response covers the main changes, including the new car park, road extension, restaurant, surf clubs, and pool enlargement, with a clear overview and mostly accurate data supported by the maps.

Coherence and Cohesion

7.0

The response is organised into logical stages with clear linking devices such as 'firstly', 'secondly', and 'meanwhile', though one paragraph ends without punctuation and transitions are somewhat mechanical.

Lexical Resource

7.0

Vocabulary is sufficiently flexible for describing map changes, using terms like 'erected', 'replaced', 'extended', and 'remained untouched', with only slightly awkward collocations such as 'enlarged by twice its previous length'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy

7.0

A good range of structures is used, including relative clauses and passive forms, though minor slips such as 'changes to an Australian beachfront from 1950 and today' reduce precision.