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TASK ONE GRAMMAR: MAPS – TYPE 2

A type two map is a single map that asks test takers to compare two locations on the map. Usually this is because a plan is in progress to build something and two possible sites have been proposed.

In general, type two map descriptions use the present simple tense to describe features on the map.

However, when you write about something people may do at a site in the future, something that has not yet been built, or something that might be an advantage or disadvantage in the future, use a conditional verb. Usually this means combining ‘would/could/might/may + verb’.

Compare: 

Present simple tense

The first possible site is in the south-eat of the area.
This site is close to an industrial area and there are no local shops.
There is also a bus station approximately 400 metres away.
There are also kayaking and cycling activities nearby.

Conditional tense

Guests staying at this site could make use of the kayaking and cycling facilities nearby.
An adventure hostel here would also include the possibility of sailing.
Students might prefer to be closer to the university campus. 
The first site might be more convenient for tourists from London.
One possible drawback to this location is the high-school, which may be noisy.

Read the model paragraph below. Notice how both tense types are used. 

The first possible site is in the south-eat of the area, with easy access to a train station. The site is adjacent to a road that connects to Dover, a town with a population of over 100,000. Guests staying at this site could make use of the kayaking and cycling facilities nearby. There is also restaurant a short distance away. However, this site may be noisy as it is close to an industrial area and there are no local shops.

This paragraph shows that modal verbs (could/would/might/may) are used to show something is a possibility at the site.

Some phrases and collocations can also be used to show possibility. However, test-takers should not over use these. 

is/are likely to + verb / to be + adjective 
e.g. This site is likely to have more visitors / This site is likely to be noisy.
has/have the potential to + verb / to be + adjective
e.g. This site has the potential to be noisy.
could potentially + verb / to be + adjective
e.g. This site could potentially be more convenient for students.

Read the model paragraph again. Notice how the phrases above can also be used. 

The first possible site is in the south-eat of the area, with easy access to a train station. The site is adjacent to a road that connects to Dover, a town with a population of over 100,000. Guests staying at this site are likely to make use of the kayaking and cycling facilities nearby. There is also restaurant a short distance away. However, this site could potentially be noisy as it is close to an industrial area and there are no local shops.

COMPARING AND CONTRASTING

Maps that ask for a comparison between two possible locations require careful use of comparative grammar. Examiners will look for a range of grammatical structures. This article will demonstrate several ways to compare two sites.

1. Using a subordinating conjunction.  

Comparing two sites using a conjunction is probably the first technique test-takers will use as it is common in the overview. 

While and whereas are most common:

In general, the first site is located away from the coastline to the north-west of the shopping centre, while the second site is opposite the beach to the south-east.
In general, the first site is situated in a mountainous area away from the main town, whereas the second site is located next to the coastline within the major urban area.

These two conjunctions have the same meaning in this context so either can be used to make comparisons. For example:  

A is big, while B is small.
B is near a castle, whereas A is near a train station.

Although is another useful conjunction. Typically this conjunction will mention a downside to one site, before mentioning a positive comparison.

Although this site is not as close to the train station, there is easier access to three other major urban areas.

2.  Using a conjunctive adverb

Usually at the beginning of a sentence, a conjunctive adverb can be used to create a sentence that contrasts the previous sentence or paragraph. For this reason a conjunctive adverb works particularly well as the final sentence of a paragraph (contrasting the previous positive aspects of a site) or as the first sentence of paragraph 2 (contrasting paragraph 1)

The most common conjunctive adverbs for site comparisons are however and in contrast:

1. There is also a bus station approximately 400 metres away providing convenient travel options for students.  However, this location is away from the coastline and there is a large prison within 100m which may be some concern.
2. However, this location is away from the coastline and there is a large prison within 100m which may be some concern.

In contrast, the second site is situated directly opposite the beach on the main coastal road. 

3.  Using but and also

But is a conjunction. Also is an adverb and a conjunctive adverb. 

These two words are very useful for making quick comparisons. Although they may seem simple, they are effective and should be used.

For example:

There are also kayaking and cycling activities nearby, but an adventure hostel here would also include the possibility of sailing.

4. More /less _____ than

Most test-takers know that some comparative forms use -er and others use more/less

While the first site is bigger, the second site is more convenient.  

There is a simple rule for when to use -er and when to use more/less , which involves counting the number of syllables in the original word.

Number of SyllablesOriginal ComparativeExceptions
1big fast old strongbigger faster older strongerbad – worse good – better fun – more fun 
2 (final letter is Y)funny happy busy noisyfunnier happy busy noisy
2crowded open distant urbanmore crowded less open more distant less urbanclever – cleverer  quiet – quieter 
3 or moredangerous convenient expensive industrial beautifulless dangerous more convenient less expensive  more industrial  less beautiful

This rule applies to both adjectives and adverbs, but be careful. Most adverbs contain more syllables than the adjective form. 

In the table below there are two mistakes. Can you find them by following the rule above? 

adjectiveadjective comparativeadverb adverb comparative
deaddeaderdeadlydeadlier
heavyheavierheavily heavilier
earlyearlierearlyearlier 
easyeasiereasily easilier 
fastfasterfastfaster
goodbetterwell better

The two errors are in the table are heavilier and easilier, as both heavily and easily have three syllables. The correct English is more heavily and more easily.  

Avoiding redundancy with more/less ______than

Using than is only necessary when both aspects of the comparison are written. It is common to omit the second part of a comparison when it has already been written about in a previous sentence/clause, or when the comparison is obvious.

Comparisons using than

The park in Shanghai is bigger than the park in central Beijing. ✔︎
The park in Shanghai is smaller than it used to be. ✔︎

Comparisons where than is redundant. 

There is a big park in Beijing. However, the park in Shanghai is bigger than the park in Beijing. ✘
There is also a park in central Beijing, but the one in Shanghai is bigger than it. ✘
The park in Shanghai used to be bigger than it is now. ✘
Compared to thirty years ago, the park in Shanghai is much smaller than it used to be. 

These examples are not ungrammatical, but they are unnecessary, which is common in poor writing style.

Examples with than omitted.

The park in Shanghai used to be bigger, but it is still popular. ✔︎
There is also a park in central Beijing, but the one in Shanghai is bigger. ✔︎

5. as _____ as

Another common comparative structure is as adj/adv as. This can be used positively or negatively:

Positive: A is as adj/adv as B.

This form is only used to show that two things are equal in some way.

The park is Shanghai is as big as the park in Beijing. (equal)
Tourists from London can access the site as easily as those from Dover. (equal)

Negative: A is not as adj/adv as B.

This form is only used to show that something is inferior in some way. 
The park in Shanghai is not as big as the park in Beijing. (inferior)

Tourists from London cannot access the site as easily as those from Dover. (inferior)

This structure never uses than.

Many errors in this sentence type are a result of choosing the wrong prepositions (as/to/than etc.). One way to avoid this problem is to think of these sentences in phrases or sections. In the example sentences below some phrases have been underlined. 

  1. Tourists from London cannot access the site as easily as those from Dover.
Noun phrase: Tourists from London 
Verb phrase: cannot access the site 
Adverb phrase: as easily as 
Comparative noun phrase: those from Dover.

2. The second site under consideration is not as close to the farm as the original site. 

Noun phrase: The second site under consideration
Verb phrase: is not
Adjective phrase: as close to the farm as
Comparative noun phrase: the original site.

3. After the construction is completed, the journey to the university will probably not be as convenient for the majority of the students living in the town as it was thirty years ago. 

Adverbial phrase: After the construction is completed
Noun phrase: the journey to the university
Verb phrase: will probably not be
Adjective phrase: as convenient for the majority of the students living in the town as
Comparative noun phrase: it was thirty years ago.

The examples below show that there can be a lot of information in the adjective phrases between ‘as_______as’ including prepositions that are connected to the adjective (close to / convenient for etc.)

Remember: IELTS examiners want to see a range of grammar (i.e. different types of grammar).

Test-takers should practice the ability to write the four comparison types shown below. To do this, use the same basic information, but change the adjective or adverb phrases. For example:

1.Tourists from London cannot access the site as easily as those from Dover.

Adverb phrases: more easily than/ less easily than / as easily as /not ______ as easily as

1. Tourists from London can access the site more easily than those from Dover. (more)
2. Tourists from London can access the site less easily than those from Dover. (less)
3. Tourists from London can access the site as easily as those from Dover. (equal)
4. Tourists from London cannot access the site as easily as those from Dover. (less)

Avoiding redundancy

As with the ‘more/less ______ than’ structure, it is important to consider redundancy. In many occasions it is not necessary to include any more information after the adjective or adverb. 

The examples below show sentences where the full ‘as______as’ is unnecessary.

Although the shopping mall in site 2 is closer, guests at this location would not be able to access it as easily.
There is a lot of industry around site A, but the area around site B is almost as industrial.
Even though the first location is in a beautiful area, it is not as convenient for guests.
This site is closer to the university but would not be as convenient for travel.

EXERCISES

The following sentences all contain errors. Locate the error and rewrite the sentence in the correct form

  1. However, the industrial area surrounding site 1 is more big than the industrial area surrounding site 2.
  1. There is a road to the beach, which means the journey is much more shorter for site A than B.
  1. Tourists would be able to reach the shopping mall quicklier from this location.  
  1. There are parks next to both sites but the one adjacent to site 2 is closer to the beach than the one next to site 1. 
  1. Tourists from London can access the site as easily than those from Dover. 
  1. The park in Shanghai is much as bigger as the park in central Beijing. 
  1. The second site in the village is not as close as the farm as the original site. 
  1. In the future, the restaurant will not be as attractive as for tourists than the restaurant is now in the present because it will not be less easy to reach on foot.
  1. This site is closer to the business park but would not be as convenient for businessmen as the first site would be.

READING

Below are the detail paragraphs from the two model essays used on this course. Read each one, looking at both the tenses used and the range of comparative structure. 

Whitstable 

The first possible site is in the south-east of the area, with easy access to a train station. The site is adjacent to a road that connects to Dover, a town with a population of over 100,000. Guests staying at this site could make use of the kayaking and cycling facilities nearby. There is also restaurant a short distance away. However, this site may be noisy as it is close to an industrial area and there are no local shops. 

In contrast, the second site is surrounded by shopping areas along the coastline. There are also kayaking and cycling activities nearby, but an adventure hostel here would also include the possibility of sailing. Although this site is not as close to the train station, there is easier access to three other major urban areas, including London with a population of nearly nine million. However, this site is further away from the countryside and mountain areas, and is surrounded by housing.

Flockton

The first possible site is within easy walking distance of a major shopping mall which includes a cinema and a food court. The site is situated directly between a hospital to the east and a train station directly opposite to the west. There is also a bus station approximately 400 metres away providing convenient travel options for students. However, this location is away from the coastline and there is a large prison within 100m which may be some concern.

In contrast, the second site is situated directly opposite the beach on the main coastal road. There is park nearby, and the area is more residential. As with site one, the major shopping mall can be easily reached on foot. This site is closer to the university but would not be as convenient for travel because both the bus and train stations are further away. One possible drawback to this location is the high-school which connects to the north and west, and may create a noisy local environment. 


ANSWERS

The following sentences all contain errors. Locate the error and rewrite the sentence in the correct form

  1. However, the industrial area surrounding site 1 is bigger than the industrial area surrounding site 2.
  1. There is a road to the beach, which means the journey is much more shorter for site A than B.
  1. Tourists would be able to reach the shopping mall quicker from this location.  
  1. There are parks next to both sites but the one adjacent to site 2 is closer to the beach than the one next to site 1. 
  1. Tourists from London can access the site as easily as those from Dover. 
  1. The park in Shanghai is much as bigger than the park in central Beijing. 
  1. The second site in the village is not as close to the farm as the original site. 
  1. In the future, the restaurant will not be as attractive as for tourists as the restaurant is now in the present because it will not be as easy to reach on foot.
  1. This site is closer to the business park but would not be as convenient for businessmen as the first site would be.

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