Norbiton Industrial Area Redevelopment Maps

The maps below show an industrial area in the town of Norbiton, and planned future development of the site. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Cambridge IELTS 17 Academic Test 1 Writing Task 1 visual

Annotated response

8 correction notes

Showing 8 correction notes.

provide a detailed account of Norbiton’s current state and its projected developmental plans. A comprehensive analysis of the maps reveals a discernible shift towards increased residential infrastructure and a concomitant decline in industrial facilities. This transformation will chiefly take place in the western and northern regions of the town, with only a of farmland remaining untouched.

Currently, the town centre comprises a central roundabout, surrounded by factories, and a west-to-east thoroughfare. In the future, while the roundabout will persist, the factories will give way to commercial establishments, and new will emerge alongside a north-western avenue. Additionally, a new will be constructed in the south-eastern district. The existing eastward thoroughfare will be flanked by new residences and will feature a substantial playground to the north and a school at the easternmost boundary of the town.

Beyond the town centre, plans are underway to construct a small roundabout in the southern region that will . To the north, a bridge will span the river, and some of the farmland will be supplanted with housing, albeit not to the east, where no alterations are planned.

Overall assessment

Why this response received Band 7.0

The response provides a well-organised, accurate summary of the map comparison, with a clear overview of the shift from industry to housing and a logical grouping of changes by location. Its main limitation is a small factual slip in labelling the planned medical centre as a hospital, alongside slightly over-formal vocabulary.

IELTS criteria

How each score was decided

Task Achievement

7.0

The response covers all major changes across both maps with a clear overview and relevant comparisons, though the planned medical centre is mislabelled as a hospital, which is a minor data inaccuracy.

Coherence and Cohesion

7.0

Information is organised logically by area and stage, with clear progression within and between paragraphs and effective cohesive devices.

Lexical Resource

7.0

A wide range of vocabulary is used flexibly to describe location and change, though some phrases such as 'cartographic representations' and 'minuscule' are unnecessarily ornate for a map summary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy

7.5

A good range of complex structures is deployed accurately and with clear control, with only rare, non-impeding slips.