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IELTS Writing Task 1 Module 1: Build-up

Planting a Tomato Seed: Process & Data Vocabulary

Warm up your vocabulary and phrase structures before analyzing process diagrams and map data.

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How to use this lesson

TEACHER Timing & Workflow (40 mins total)

Use this 40-minute lesson step-by-step. Let students complete Module 1 first to warm up their vocabulary, then move to the main task in Module 2.
Check the auto-graded answers together as a class to address common mistakes before starting the timed writing activity.

LEARNER Your Action Plan

First, work through these warm-up exercises in Module 1 to practice key process and figure vocabulary.
Next, apply what you learned to write your main task in Module 2, and review the annotated model answer in Module 3.

Module 1 Overview

Complete four quick practice parts on describing the stages and data of growing a plant from a seed.

Example Pattern

"We needn't have rushed to the hall, because the keynote started late."

Why this works: Notice how two simple ideas are connected smoothly in one clear sentence.

Part A: Word Forms (5 items)

Change the word in brackets to the correct form to complete each sentence about planting tomato seeds.

1. Adequate soil moisture is essential for seed (germinate).

____ Type the noun form of 'germinate'

2. The amount of water should be (proportion) to the size of the pot.

____ Type the adjective form

3. The seedling showed a (steadily) increase in height over the first week.

____ Type the adjective form

4. After two weeks, the green shoot (emergence) above the soil line.

____ Type the past tense verb form

5. Water the pot (regular) so that the soil remains damp.

____ Type the adverb form

Part B: Collocations for Describing Data & Steps (5 items)

Choose the word that best completes each natural combination of words.

1. The young shoot _________ a height of 5 centimetres after seven days of growth.

____ a. reached ____ b. touched ____ c. arrived ____ d. gained

2. The soil temperature should be _________ at around 22°C for optimal seed germination.

____ a. lifted ____ b. maintained ____ c. supported ____ d. carried

3. Growth _________ significantly once the pot was moved into direct sunlight.

____ a. accelerated ____ b. pushed ____ c. hurried ____ d. ran

4. The initial stage _________ placing two seeds in nutrient-rich potting mix.

____ a. contains ____ b. involves ____ c. holds ____ d. attaches

5. Moisture levels _________ slightly during week two before levelling out.

____ a. bounced ____ b. crossed ____ c. fluctuated ____ d. turned

Part C: Common Phrases for Describing Figures & Steps (5 items)

Use words from the Word Bank to fill in the missing phrases.

📌 Word Bank

Prior to remains constant followed by takes place reaches a peak

1. Germination usually _________ within five to ten days after planting.

____

2. Sowing the seed in moist soil is _________ regular watering and indirect sunlight.

____

3. _________ placing seeds in soil, ensure the pot has drainage holes at the bottom.

____

4. The seedling's daily growth _________ of 2 cm around week four.

____

5. If the temperature drops too low, plant growth _________ for several days.

____

Part D: Paraphrasing (3 items)

Select the sentence that best expresses the same meaning in different words.

Original Sentence:

"The soil must be kept moist continuously until the first green shoots appear."

____ a. You should keep the soil damp all the time until the initial shoots emerge. ____ b. The shoots will appear faster if you water the dry soil once a week. ____ c. Keep watering the green shoots continuously after they emerge from the soil.

Original Sentence:

"After the seeds germinate, the stem gradually increases in height over the following three weeks."

____ a. The seeds germinate for three weeks while the stem stays at a constant height. ____ b. Following seed germination, the plant stem grows taller bit by bit during the next three weeks. ____ c. The stem increases quickly in height three weeks before the seeds begin to sprout.

Original Sentence:

"A significant majority of tomato seeds successfully sprout when grown in temperatures between 20°C and 25°C."

____ a. Most tomato seeds fail to sprout if the temperature stays between 20°C and 25°C. ____ b. Exactly half of the seeds sprout when the pot is placed in a warm spot. ____ c. Most tomato seeds sprout successfully if kept in a temperature range of 20°C to 25°C.

✓

Module 1 Build-up Completed!

You are now ready to tackle the map comparison task in Module 2.

IELTS Writing Task 1 Module 2: The Task

Conference Centre Floor Plan Comparison

Study the two floor plans below, identify the main changes between 2015 and 2025, and write your report.

Writing Prompt Academic Writing Task 1

"The maps below show the ground floor of a conference centre in 2015 and in 2025. Describe the main changes between the two years and make comparisons where they help."

Write at least 150 words.

Map 1 (2015)

⬆ NORTH

entrance hall

cloakroom

main hall

cafe

office

main hall

car park

meeting rooms

garden

Ground floor layout in 2015 (3 rows × 4 columns)

Map 2 (2025)

⬆ NORTH

entrance hall

shop

main hall

cafe

exhibition hall

car park

meeting rooms

garden

Ground floor layout in 2025 (3 rows × 4 columns)

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Map Report Checklist

Every map report needs:

✓ An overview

✓ The main changes

✓ Comparisons between the two years

✓ Accurate details

✓ At least 150 words

Write Your Report

Type your response below. Your writing will be evaluated by AI using standard IELTS criteria.

✨ AI Instant Feedback

Task Achievement Coherence and Cohesion Lexical Resource Grammatical Range and Accuracy

____ (The maps illustrate the changes that took place on the ground floor of a conference centre between 2015 and 2025...)

IELTS Writing Task 1 Module 3: Model Answer

Model Answer & Phrase Breakdown

Compare your draft with this sample answer of 161 words and look at the phrases worth using in your own report.

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How to analyze this sample

Read through the model response below. Pay close attention to the 8 bolded phrases: these show how to describe structural shifts, room replacements, and static areas naturally without repeating words.

Official Model Answer Length: 161 words

Target: 150–170 words

The two floor plans illustrate the layout of a conference centre ground floor in 2015 and the structural changes made by 2025.

Overall, the ground floor underwent significant modernization, with several administrative and storage spaces being repurposed for commercial and event facilities, while the entrance hall and garden remained unchanged.

In 2015, a cloakroom was located next to the entrance hall; however, this was replaced by a shop by 2025. Nearby, the office was removed to allow for an expansion of the adjacent cafe. Furthermore, the southern section of the main hall was converted into a dedicated exhibition hall, although the northern section retained its original function. As a result, the main hall is now only half its original size.

In the southern area, the meeting rooms were enlarged, taking up space previously occupied by part of the car park, which consequently was halved in size. In contrast, the garden in the southeastern corner remained completely untouched throughout the ten-year period.

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Why These Phrases Work

Practical notes on why each bolded expression improves your map report.

1 "illustrate the layout of"

Why this works: A clean and natural opening phrase to introduce map comparisons smoothly without sounding repetitive.

2 "underwent significant modernization, with"

Why this works: Helps you frame your overall overview paragraph by highlighting the general direction of all changes in one go.

3 "being repurposed for"

Why this works: Useful when describing rooms that kept their structure but changed what they are used for.

4 "this was replaced by a"

Why this works: Keeps your sentences moving logically when explaining that a new facility took over the exact spot of an old one.

5 "an expansion of the adjacent"

Why this works: Great for showing that an area got bigger by taking over space right next door to it.

6 "converted into a"

Why this works: A direct, simple verb choice to describe turning one facility type into another.

7 "taking up space previously occupied by"

Why this works: Connects two facts in one sentence by explaining exactly where the space for a new feature came from.

8 "remained completely untouched throughout"

Why this works: Perfect for pointing out static map features that stayed the same over the entire time period.

IELTS Writing Task 1: Conference Centre Maps

Planting a Tomato Seed: Process & Data Vocabulary

How to use this lesson

Part A: Word Forms (5 items)

Part B: Collocations for Describing Data & Steps (5 items)

Part C: Common Phrases for Describing Figures & Steps (5 items)

Part D: Paraphrasing (3 items)

Conference Centre Floor Plan Comparison

Map 1 (2015)

Map 2 (2025)

Map Report Checklist

Write Your Report

Model Answer & Phrase Breakdown

How to analyze this sample

Why These Phrases Work

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