Writing Task 1: Mapping Public Spaces
Architecture and public spaces
Answers and an explanation for each question appear once you add this activity to your own library.
For Teachers:
Spend about 12 minutes on these 4 language stations.
Track learner progress automatically through the self-grading interactive checks.
For Learners:
Work through all 18 warmup questions before examining the visual maps in Module 2.
Pay close attention to word forms and collocations used to describe club data.
🏅 Language Warm-up: A Sports Club and Its Members
Before we describe visual reports and diagrams, let's master the core vocabulary, collocations, and sentence structures used to describe numbers, trends, and participation rates.
Club members training and swimming at the regional sports club.
Station A Part (a): Word Forms in Context
5 QuestionsSelect or enter the correct grammatical form required to complete each sports club report sentence.
1. She renewed her annual ______ at the sports club in January. (member)
2. Gym session attendance figures ______ between 120 and 180 participants every week throughout the winter season. (fluctuation)
3. The budget allocated to coaching staff was ______ to the number of registered junior athletes. (proportion)
4. Demand for evening tennis court bookings fell ______ during the colder months of November and December. (sharp)
____Hint: Convert the adjective into an adverb describing the rate of decline.
5. Overall weekend ______ at the fitness club reached a new record in March. (attend)
____Hint: We need a noun subject that means the number of people present.
Station B Part (b): Data Collocations
5 QuestionsChoose the verb that sounds natural with the words around it.
6. The number of active badminton club members ______ a peak of 450 players in August.
7. Registration for early morning pilates classes ______ a steady growth over the entire course of the year.
8. Adult members ______ for a clear majority of the total sports club enrollment.
9. The proportion of gym users exercising on cardio machines ______ relatively stable at roughly 40%.
10. Swimming pool visits ______ a sharp drop following the scheduled maintenance week in October.
Station C Part (c): Common Data Phrases
5 QuestionsUse the expressions in the Word Bank below to fill in the missing blanks in the sports club survey summary.
🗃️ Word Bank (Copy or type exactly):
11. ____________________, squash court bookings demonstrated a steady decline, dropping from 80 weekly sessions to just 22.
____Hint: Pick the phrase denoting the full decade timeframe.
12. ____________________ registered members, swimming proved significantly more popular than weightlifting among seniors.
____Hint: Select the phrase that introduces the metric or focus category.
13. The sports club counted 620 weekend gym visitors, ____________________ only 280 on typical weekday mornings.
____Hint: Use the comparative connector linking the two figures.
14. ____________________ fitness enthusiasts surveyed (over 85%) expressed high satisfaction with the personal trainers.
____Hint: Phrase describing a very large percentage of a group.
15. While badminton enrollment increased, table tennis experienced ____________________ over the consecutive seasons.
____Hint: A phrase describing an overall continuous decrease.
Station D Part (d): Paraphrasing Practice
3 QuestionsSelect the best rewritten sentence that conveys the exact same data without altering meaning.
"The sports club registered approximately 75% of its new members in the fitness and cardio section."
16. Which option accurately paraphrases the sentence above?
"There was a gradual rise in swimming club enrollment between 2012 and 2018."
17. Which option says the same thing in different words?
"The sports club committee allocated more financial resources to aerobic training equipment than to weight machines."
18. Which option keeps the same meaning?
For Teachers:
Allocate 20 uninterrupted minutes for independent writing.
Review the automatic feedback to confirm student coverage of all key features.
For Learners:
Carefully compare the 1995 and 2020 map grids before writing.
Compose your full report (minimum 150 words) directly into the interactive workspace below.
Urban Transformation: The Public Square (1995 vs 2020)
Official Task Prompt:
"The two maps show how the area around a public square changed between 1995 and 2020. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words."
🧭 Comparative Map Grids (3x3 Layout)
(open, with no trees)
(with a covered arcade)
(grass, trees & fountain)
(with a new glass extension)
📋 What Every Map Report Needs (Checklist)
Your Report: Interactive Writing Space
Draft your complete comparison below. The automated evaluator will review your work.
Evaluation Criteria:
A Clear Model Answer
Study the complete sample response below. Notice how each paragraph groups features systematically by geographic location, and examine how the bolded expressions describe changes naturally.
Architectural concept illustration showing the pedestrian-oriented central square in 2020.
Complete Model Response (162 Words)
162 WordsThe two maps illustrate how the district surrounding a public square developed over a twenty-five-year period from 1995 to 2020.
Overall, the area around the square became largely pedestrianised and greened, with the car park and the main road replaced by spaces for people, while the church and the bank remained unchanged.
In the northern and central sections, the north-west car park was converted into a cafe terrace, and the open paved square was transformed into a green square with grass, trees and a fountain. The main road on its western side became a pedestrian street. In the north-east, the shops were given a covered arcade, and the library on the east side of the square received a new glass extension.
Turning to the southern part of the map, the bus station was replaced by an underground station. Meanwhile, the warehouse in the south-west was demolished to make way for apartments, and the bank in the south-east stayed exactly as it was.
Why This Works: Analysis of 7 Key Expressions
Here is why our teacher chose each bold phrase in the model answer, and how you can replicate them in your own writing:
"pedestrianised and greened"
Captures the two biggest environmental themes of the entire redevelopment in just three words, creating an instant, high-level summary for the reader.
"remained unchanged"
Strong reports do not just report new buildings - they also clearly identify permanent structures that persisted through both years (the church and bank).
"converted into"
Used when an existing surface or structure is repurposed for a completely new public activity (such as a car park turning into a cafe terrace).
"transformed into"
Ideal for dramatic aesthetic changes, like an open paved square being redesigned into a green square with grass, trees and a fountain.
"received a new glass extension"
Perfect for describing architectural additions where the primary building is preserved while gaining an extra wing, annex, or modern feature.
"replaced by"
A clear way to show that one facility took the place of another (the old bus station giving way to an underground station).
"demolished to make way for"
The natural phrase when an old structure is completely knocked down so that an entirely different category of building (like residential flats) can take its place.
4-Paragraph Structural Plan for Map Reports
Follow this proven layout every time you report on two comparative maps:
Introduction
Paraphrase the prompt statement, naming the location and the time boundaries (1995 to 2020).
Broad Overview
Summarise the two largest general transformations and explicitly note features that remained unchanged.
Northern & Central Details
Report specific shifts in the car park, square, road, shops, and library with precise compass coordinates.
Southern Details
Detail the transport terminal replacement, warehouse demolition, and apartment construction.
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