Introduction
In the IELTS Listening plan/map/diagram labelling question you will need to listen to a recording and label the given plan/map/diagram. This could be a map of a building, a college campus a map of a city etc.
This type of question is considered easier because the graphic (plan/map/diagram) contains a lot of clues.
Plan/map/diagram labelling sample task
Source: Official IELTS website www.https://ielts.org
Strategy
Before the recording
Read the question
Utilize the time before the recording to read the question carefully. Read the instructions carefully about what needs to be done. The instructions can vary in this question type.
Example
Source: Official IELTS website www.https://ielts.org
The instructions above clearly specify that you must choose only Five answers from the box with 9 options(A-I). Four of the given options will not be used. It is critical to answer by only answering with the correct letters from A-I
Read the title and the labels
The map/plan/diagram usually will have a title and labels that will give you valuable information about the topic of the questions and other relevant details.
By looking at the image shared above you can quickly identify the following information
- The map is of a town library.
- The librarian’s desk is right next to the entrance to the library
- To the right of the librarian’s desk is the library office.
- Two sections of the library area are fiction and non-fiction.
- The third section of the library area needs to be identified.
During the recording
Listen to the recording carefully
The recording will play only once so listen carefully to the recording to find the answer to the questions by selecting the correct answer option(s).
Identify the synonyms and paraphrasings
Synonyms and paraphrasing will be used throughout the recording.
A synonym is a similar meaning word.
Synonyms used in the recording
good collection of stories and picture books for the under elevens – Children’s Books
periodicals – newspapers and magazines
A paraphrase is to say something in your own words using different words to make it easier to understand.
The recording will not match the given answer options word for word. It is important to understand the meaning of what is being said.
Look out for traps/distractors
A trap or a distractor is a word or a sentence that seems to be the correct answer to the questions at first but turns out to be the opposite in meaning upon listening carefully. It might also be an option that seems like the correct answer at first but the speaker discards it later.
Examples of traps/distractors
For question 13 the speaker first says
“And on the shelves on the far wall, there is an excellent collection of books relating to local
history.”
Then she says “We’re hoping to add a section on local tourist attractions too, later in the
year”
The key point is that the section for local tourist attractions will be added later in the day it’s not there now.
So this cannot be the correct answer.
For question 15 the speaker says
“Then there’s a large room to the right of the library area – that’s the
multimedia collection, where you can borrow videos and DVDs and so on, and we
also have CD-Roms you can borrow to use on your computer at home”
And then she says
“Originally it was an art collection but has been moved to another building”
Notice how the speaker proved this option incorrect by saying that this was an art collection that had moved to another building in the past so this cannot be the correct answer.
Correct answers
11 H (Reference books)
12 G (Periodicals)
13 D (Local history collection)
14 B (Children’s Books)
15 F (Multimedia)
Recording link
Source: Official IELTS website www.https://ielts.org
Tapescript
You will hear the librarian of a new town library talking to a group of people who are
visiting the library.
OK everyone. So here we are at the entrance to the town library. My name is Ann,
and I’m the chief librarian here, and you’ll usually find me at the desk just by the
main entrance here. So I’d like to tell you a bit about the way the library is organised,
and what you’ll find where … and you should all have a plan in front of you. Well, as
you see my desk is just on your right as you go in, and opposite this the first room on
your left has an excellent collection of reference books and is also a place where
people can read or study peacefully. Just beyond the librarian’s desk on the right is a
room where we have up to date periodicals such as newspapers and magazines and
this room also has a photocopier in case you want to copy any of the articles. If you
carry straight on you’ll come into a large room and this is the main library area. There
is fiction in the shelves on the left, and non-fiction materials on your right, and on the
shelves on the far wall there is an excellent collection of books relating to local
history. We’re hoping to add a section on local tourist attractions too, later in the
year. Through the far door in the library just past the fiction shelves is a seminar
room, and that can be booked for meetings or talks, and next door to that is the
children’s library, which has a good collection of stories and picture books for the
under elevens. Then there’s a large room to the right of the library area – that’s the
multimedia collection, where you can borrow videos and DVDs and so on, and we
also have CD-Roms you can borrow to use on your computer at home. It was
originally the art collection but that’s been moved to another building. And that’s
about it – oh, there’s also the Library Office, on the left of the librarian’s desk. OK,
now does anyone have any questions?
Source: Official IELTS website www.https://ielts.org
Very interesting subject, appreciate it for putting up.