The IELTS Writing Task 1 floor plans and ‘before and after’ maps require a little thought and preparation if you’ve never done one before. Here are some guidelines.
Floor Plan Step 1: Find the Key features
Write on the question paper. Draw circles around
- what’s the same
- what’s different.
The key features will start to stand out. In this example you’ll quickly notice that there have been considerable changes but the park itself is still basically the same – this gives you a good overview.
Now start describing the changes. In this example, you can simply go through them one by one comparing the past with the present.
Floor Plan Step 2: Choose your tenses
Past Tense
Notice the different ways of expressing the past tense:
- When Grange Park opened in 1920, there was a large fountain in the centre.
- There used to be a bandstand with a stage for musicians.
- Around the edges of the park there were rose gardens with park benches.
Present Perfect Tense
- The glasshouse has gone and now there is a water feature. (Active)
- A cafe has been built nearby. (Passive)
- The seats have been taken away.
Present Tense
Notice the different ways of expressing the Present Tense:
- Now there is a water feature.
- An amphitheatre for concerts now takes up this space.
- Access to the park is still via the two original entrances.
Floor Plan Step 3: Add linking words
Linking words should be
- at the start of sentences (When, Similarly, In addition)
- in the middle of sentences (but, and, so)
- reference words (this, that, these, those, it)
Look at these examples:
When Grange Park opened in 1920, there was a large fountain in the centre, but this has been replaced with a rose garden and seats.
Floor Plan Step 4: Add some Band 7 features
Floor Plan Step 5: Introduction and Overall
Compare the original introduction with my version – what do you notice?
‘The plans below a public park when it first opened in 1920 and the same park today.’
The plans show how a park has altered since it was built in 1920.
Using the word ‘how’ gives you an instant paraphrase in many different tasks
e.g. ‘The charts show daily expenditure’ –
the charts show how much people spend every day
Overall we can see that despite significant adaptations, the park retains the basic elements of flowers, water, seating and music with the addition of a cafe and a children’s play area.
The plans show how a park has altered since it was built in 1920. Overall we can see that despite significant adaptations, the park retains the basic elements of flowers, water, seating and music with the addition of a cafe and a children’s play area.
When Grange Park opened in 1920, there was a large fountain dominating the centre. This has now been replaced with a sizeable rose garden and seats all around it. In addition, the glasshouse to the right of the Eldon Street entrance has gone and in its place there is a water feature.
To the left of where the fountain once stood, there used to be a bandstand with a stage for musicians. An amphitheatre for concerts and associated seating now takes up this space. Similarly, the pond for water plants has been removed and there is a children’s play area in the north east corner and a cafe has been built nearby. Around the edges of the park there were rose gardens with park benches for people to smell the flowers and listen to music. Only one of the smaller rose gardens remains on the north side of the park and the seats have been taken away.
Access to the park is still via the two original entrances, but there is now a third entrance near the water feature from an underground park.
230 words
Proofread your floor plan
Spend one or two minutes checking for mistakes such as:
- articles (a cafe, the glasshouse)
- plurals (flowers, seats)
- prepositions (in the north-east corner, to the left, on the north side)
- tenses (has been built, was built)
- 3rd person ‘s’ – (only one rose garden remains)
- 3rd forms – (has been taken away, has gone)
Floor Plans Practice
Use models like the one below to test yourself – make gapped versions like this so that you can be sure that you have understood the choices you have to make e.g. tenses and articles.
Check back with the full model above.
The plans show how a park ____ altered since it ___ built in 1920. Overall we can see that despite significant adaptations, the park retains the basic elements of flowers, water, seating and music with the addition of a cafe and a children’s play area.
When Grange Park opened in 1920, _______ ___ a large fountain dominating the centre. This ____ now _______ replaced with a sizeable rose garden and seats all around it. In addition, the glasshouse to the right of the Eldon Street entrance has _____ and in its place there ___ a water feature.
To the left of where the fountain once stood, there ______ to __ a bandstand with a stage for musicians. An amphitheatre for concerts and associated seating now takes up this space. Similarly, the pond for water plants have ____ removed and there is a children’s play area in the north east corner and a cafe ____ _____ built nearby. Around the edges of the park there ____ rose gardens with park benches for people to smell the flowers and listen to music. Only one of the smaller rose gardens remains on the north side of the park and the seats have _____ taken away.
Access to the park is still via the two original entrances, but there __ now a third entrance near the water feature from an underground park.
Prepositions for floor plans
to the right of the Eldon Stree entrance
to the left of where the fountain once stood.
in the north east corner
on the north side of the park
around the edges
next to/adjacent to the fountain
beside the rose garden
either side of the water feature
in the centre
between the seats
opposite the entrance
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kindly tell how can we proper Grammer use and as well how can we improve? if you have any formula kindly share with us.
Hi Muhammad and thanks for your question. Grammar is a formula and you just have to learn how it works. Learning the tense system is probably a good start – Past, Present and Future. The easies way is to get a good grammar book with lots of practice.
I have a list of good books here https://ieltsetc.com/ielts-test-information-faqs/.
Hope that helps, All the best, Fiona
Thank you so much I learned things that I need from your sample
You’re very welcome. Thank you for your comment 🙂
Here,in introduction you have used “a park”. Can we use “the park” because examiner knows about which park we are writing?
Hi Kevin, yes you can but in the first sentence you are introducing the park as a ‘first mention’ (it is one of many parks) so I would choose ‘a’.
Here,in introduction you have used ‘a park has altered”…can we use “a park has been altered”
Hi Kevin. It’s a very good question. Sometimes places are deliberately altered by people e.g. The paths have been widened to make them more accessible to wheelchairs.. But sometimes places just ‘evolve’ naturally over time. Yes, this park was altered by someone but because we assume it was a gradual process we can say ‘The park has altered’ in the same way you can say ‘The town has changed over the last decade’. Certain individual aspects of the town/park have ‘been changed’ e.g. shops have been pulled down, more houses have been built but you would say OVERALL the town/park has changed. I hope that helps and thank you for your comment. Best wishes, Fiona.