25+ IELTS Map Vocabulary Words to Describe Changes and Locations with Examples

Written By

IELTS ZONE

Published On

July 26, 2025

If you’ve ever looked at an IELTS Writing Task 1 map and thought, “What do I even say?” — you’re not alone.

Many students find map questions confusing because they test more than just grammar or sentence structure — they test how well you can describe location, change, and layout clearly and naturally. And without the right IELTS map vocabulary, it’s easy to fall into the trap of repeating simple words like “built” or “added” again and again.

Let’s look at a basic example:

“The park was removed and a car park was constructed in its place.”

That’s a good start. But to score Band 7 or higher, you need more than one or two verbs. You’ll need a range of specific words that describe development (like converted, expanded, or replaced), clear prepositions (like next to or along), and directional phrases that show spatial awareness (like to the west of or adjacent to).

One of my students, Ritu, used to write map answers that sounded like:

“They added a building. They added a car park. They added a road.”

She didn’t realise she was losing marks for vocabulary range and cohesion. Once we worked on targeted IELTS map vocabulary, her writing became more natural — and her score jumped from 6.0 to 7.5 in just one month.

In this blog, you’ll learn:

The most useful verbs to describe changes on a map
How to use prepositions and locations correctly
Which directional phrases help you describe the layout clearly

We’ll also look at real examples, a success story, and give you a free downloadable infographic so you can practise on your own.

👉 Ready to sound more like a Band 7+ candidate?
Let’s start with the most important group of words — action verbs that describe changes on the map.

Key Vocabulary for Describing Changes

When it comes to IELTS Writing Task 1 maps, describing changes is the most important skill you need. That’s where action verbs come in. They help you explain how a place looked before and what happened to it after. Without the right verbs, your answer can sound repetitive or unclear — and that can lower both your lexical resource and coherence scores.

Let’s start with the basics.

🔧 Common Verbs That Show Development or Transformation

Instead of repeating “built” or “added” throughout your paragraph, here are better verbs that can level up your description:

Constructed – A new shopping centre was constructed in the north-east corner.
Demolished – The old factory was demolished to make way for housing.
Replaced – The farmland was replaced by a new residential area.
Extended – The main road was extended to reach the town centre.
Converted – The school was converted into a community centre.

All of these verbs are perfect for map comparisons — especially if the question shows a “before” and “after” layout.

💬 One of my students, Diego, used to write things like:

“They made a hospital. They made a road.”

He didn’t know this sounded too simple for Band 7+. We worked on map vocabulary together and rewrote his sentences:

“A hospital was constructed to the east of the original town.”
“A new road was extended from the south to connect both residential zones.”

The improvement was immediate — and so was his score!

🛠️ Bonus Tip: Use the Passive Voice

In map tasks, we often don’t know who made the change — so using passive voice is the right choice:

✅ “A bridge was built across the river.”
❌ “They built a bridge…” (Too informal and unclear)

👉 Takeaway: Strong verbs + passive voice = clear, academic map descriptions.

Next, let’s look at how to describe where things are using prepositions and directional phrases — this helps your reader picture the map exactly as it is.

Location and Direction Vocabulary

Now that you’ve learned how to describe changes using action verbs, it’s time to focus on something just as important: where those changes happened. In IELTS map tasks, your ability to clearly describe location and direction makes a huge difference to your overall score — especially for Task Achievement and Coherence & Cohesion.

Many students lose marks because they use vague or incorrect prepositions. But once you learn the right ones — and practise using them naturally — your writing becomes much easier to follow.

Let’s break this into two helpful categories.

🧭 1. Prepositions for Location

These words help you describe where something is in relation to something else:

Next to – The café is located next to the post office.
Opposite – The school was built opposite the supermarket.
Behind – A new car park was added behind the cinema.
Adjacent to – The hotel was constructed adjacent to the beach.
At the corner of – A police station was introduced at the corner of Main Street and Oak Lane.
Surrounded by – The garden was surrounded by newly built apartments.

These are especially useful when describing static features — things that didn’t change but help explain location.

🧭 2. Directional Phrases for Spatial Clarity

If the map has a compass (and most do), use directional language to sound more precise:

To the north of – A new industrial estate was developed to the north of the river.
In the south-west corner – The park was removed and replaced with houses in the south-west corner.
Along the river – A footpath was added along the riverbank.
Between X and Y – A shopping centre was constructed between the library and the sports complex.

📌 Pro Tip: Always check if the map has a compass rose. If it does, use north/south/east/west to guide your reader.

💡 Student example:
Nila used to write:

“There is a hospital near the road.”

After feedback, she changed it to:

“A hospital was constructed to the east of the main road, adjacent to the school.”
It sounded more natural, accurate, and academic — and she reached Band 7.5 in her next exam.

👉 Takeaway: Mastering location and direction vocabulary helps you describe maps clearly — so your reader can picture exactly what’s changed.

Up next, we’ll explore a real student story — and how improving vocabulary helped turn a weak answer into a Band 7.5 response.

Real Student Story: Mei’s Map Makeover

Sometimes the fastest way to improve is to see how another student improved. Let me tell you about Mei — one of my IELTS students from China — and how changing just a few habits helped her boost her Writing Task 1 score from Band 6 to Band 7.5 in less than five weeks.

🧠 The Problem: Repetitive and Basic Vocabulary

When Mei first came to me, she said:

“I understand the maps, but I don’t know how to describe them in different ways.”

Her map writing looked something like this:

“They added a road. They added a library. They built a park. A house was added.”

There was nothing wrong with the grammar — but the vocabulary was too simple and repetitive. Words like added, built, and made appeared again and again. That limited her vocabulary score and made her writing sound robotic.

💬 What the Examiner Wants

In IELTS Writing Task 1, the examiner looks for:

A range of vocabulary (Band 7+)
Precise, appropriate verbs and phrases
Natural variety in how you describe locations and changes

Mei wasn’t showing that — yet.

✅ The Fix: Weekly Vocabulary Practice + Real Examples

Here’s what we changed:

She learned 10 action verbs for describing change (like constructed, replaced, removed)
She practised prepositions and directional phrases using labelled map diagrams
We rewrote her old map answers using new vocabulary
She recorded herself reading model sentences to improve fluency

Here’s how her sentence changed:

❌ Before: They added a supermarket near the road.
✅ After: A supermarket was constructed to the west of the main road, replacing the small shop that was there previously.

Much better, right?

🎯 The Result

Mei’s next Task 1 answer had:

Better structure
More precise vocabulary
Passive voice + accurate direction language

Her score went from 6.0 to 7.5 — and she said, “I finally feel like I’m describing the map like a native speaker.”

👉 Takeaway: Clear, varied vocabulary transforms your writing. Mei didn’t study harder — she studied smarter.

Next, I’ll show you the exact strategy Mei followed, step-by-step, so you can start using it too.

Applying the Vocabulary: Step-by-Step Strategy

Now that you’ve seen how Mei improved her score using map vocabulary, let’s break down exactly how she did it — and how you can do the same.

Describing a map might feel overwhelming at first, but when you follow a simple structure, it becomes much easier. The key is to use the right vocabulary at the right time.

Here’s the step-by-step process you can follow for any IELTS map question.

🧩 Step 1: Identify the Main Changes

Before you write anything, compare the two maps and ask yourself:

What was added?
What was removed or replaced?
What was expanded, moved, or converted?

📝 Example:

In 2000, there was a small park. In 2020, it became a shopping mall.
That’s a conversion — so the right verb might be: converted, replaced, or redeveloped.

🧩 Step 2: Choose Accurate Verbs and Phrases

Now that you know what changed, choose vocabulary that:

Describes the type of change (built, demolished, extended)
Matches the map’s direction (to the north of, along the road)
Uses the passive voice, where needed

✅ Good sentence:

The park was replaced by a shopping centre to the south of the river.

🧩 Step 3: Group and Compare Logically

Don’t list each change randomly. Organise your writing by:

Location (e.g., describe everything on the north side first)
Type of change (e.g., all additions, then all demolitions)
Features (e.g., buildings, roads, green areas)

📌 Pro tip: Use linking phrases like “Meanwhile,” “In contrast,” or “At the same time” to connect ideas naturally.

🧩 Step 4: Review for Variety

After writing your description, scan for repeated words like added, made, or put. Replace them with stronger verbs like:

Constructed, established, expanded, removed, upgraded

Use a checklist:

✅ Do I have at least 4–6 good map-specific verbs?
✅ Did I use prepositions and directional phrases?
✅ Did I use the passive voice?

💡 Real example:
Mei’s final map answer used 12 different verbs and phrases — and only repeated one verb twice. That variety helped her achieve a strong Band 7.5 in vocabulary.

👉 Takeaway: With a clear method and the right words, you’ll describe maps more clearly and confidently — just like a Band 7+ student.

Now, let’s wrap up with a few final tips and give you a downloadable infographic so you can practise this strategy on your own.

Final Tips + Downloadable Resource

You’ve now learned the essential verbs, prepositions, and direction phrases needed to describe maps clearly and confidently in IELTS Writing Task 1. Whether you’re aiming for Band 6.5 or pushing toward Band 8, using the right vocabulary with accuracy and variety can make all the difference.

Before you go, here are some final tips to keep in mind:

✅ Top Tips for IELTS Map Writing Success

Use a range of action verbs: Don’t rely on “added” or “built.” Use replaced, developed, converted, and more.
Always check for a compass rose: If directions are marked, use them — “to the east of,” “in the northwest corner,” etc.
Group logically: Organise your writing by location or type of change for better cohesion.
Use passive voice: Especially when you don’t know who made the changes.
Example: “A hospital was constructed,” not “They constructed a hospital.”
Practice regularly: The more you use these words, the more naturally they’ll come during the test.

📥 Free Resource: Download Your Map Vocabulary Infographic

To make things easier, we’ve created a printable infographic with the 25+ IELTS map vocabulary words covered in this blog. It includes verbs, prepositions, and directional phrases — all organised clearly with real examples.

🖼️ Download the infographic here →
(If you’re printing this for offline practice, hang it by your desk!)

📚 More Task 1 Vocabulary Guides

Want to strengthen your IELTS Writing Task 1 skills across all graph types? Check out our other vocabulary guides:

Each post is packed with real student-friendly phrases, tips, and examples to help you write more naturally and score higher.

🌐 Trusted IELTS Resources (External Links)

Want official information or more preparation material? Start here:

IELTS.org – Official IELTS site with test format and sample questions
British Council – Free preparation materials and tips
IDP IELTS – Book your test and access additional practice resources

👉 Takeaway: Vocabulary is the bridge between your ideas and the examiner’s understanding. Master it, and you’ll not only describe maps — you’ll impress with clarity and confidence.

Let us know which graph type you struggle with most, and we’ll guide you to the right resources.

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