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IELTS Writing Task 1: process diagram summary

When describing a process diagram, most students have no problem describing the stages in the process step by step. However, not many students are able to write a good summary (or 'overview') of the process as a whole.

Think about how you would summarise this process:

(Click on picture to make it bigger. Source: 'Meanings into Words Upper-Intermediate')

Here are my tips for summarising process diagrams:

Write 2 sentences:
- First say how many stages there are in the whole process.
- Then say how/where the process begins and ends.

IELTS Writing Task 1: grammar mistakes

Can you find the mistakes in the following sentences?

1. The first table shows us the rate of marriage and divorce between 1970 - 2000.
2. While the divorce rate increased from 1 million to 1.5 million during the same period.
3. As from 1990 to 2000 marriage rate has decreased relatively from 2.5 to 2 million.
4. As shown in table 1 that the total number of marriages were high in 1970.
5. Finally few people got divorced in 1970 than 2000.

IELTS Writing Task 1: avoiding common mistakes

Here's some advice to help you avoid common mistakes in IELTS writing task 1:

1. Don't copy the question for your introduction. You should paraphrase the question (i.e. rewrite it using some different words).
2. Don't forget to separate your paragraphs clearly.
3. Don't forget to write a good summary/overview of the information. A quick one-sentence conclusion is not good enough. I prefer to put the overview straight after the introduction, and I try to write 2 sentences describing the information in general. You won't get a high score if you don't write a good overview.
4. Don't describe items separately (e.g. 2 lines on a graph). You should always try to compare things if it is possible to do so. Instead of describing 2 lines separately, compare the 2 lines at key points.
5. Don't try to describe every number on a chart or graph (unless there are only a few numbers). A key skill in task 1 is being able to choose the key information and describe or compare it well. I usually mention around 6 or 7 numbers in my main paragraphs.
6. Don't spend longer than 20 minutes on task 1. Practise spending 5 minutes on each of your 4 paragraphs. Stop yourself after 20 minutes; remember that task 2 is worth more marks.

IELTS Writing Task 1: line graph exercise

The graph below gives information about car ownership in Britain from 1971 to 2007.

The graph shows changes in the number of cars ______ household in Great Britain ______ a period of 36 years.

Overall, car ownership in Britain increased ______ 1971 and 2007. In particular, the number of households with two cars rose, while the number of households ______ a car fell.

In 1971, ______ half of all British households did not have regular use of a car. Around 44% of households had one car, but only about 7% had two cars. It was uncommon for families to own three or more cars, ______ around 2% of households falling into this category.

The one-car household was the most common type from the late 1970’s ______, although there was little change in the ______ for this category. The biggest change was seen in the proportion of households without a car, which fell steadily over the 36-year period ______ around 25% in 2007. In contrast, the proportion of two-car families rose steadily, reaching about 26% in 2007, and the proportion of households with more than two cars rose ______ around 5%.

Fill the gaps in the essay with the following words:
almost, to, figures, per, between, by, over, with, without, onwards

IELTS Writing Task 1: you don't need a conclusion

You don't need to write a conclusion for IELTS writing task 1. You need to write an "overview" of the information.

But why don't you need to write a conclusion? What's the difference between a conclusion and an overview?

First, a conclusion is really a final judgement, decision or opinion. This is perfect for the task 2 essay, but task 1 asks you to write a description without analysis or opinions. On the other hand, an "overview" is a simple description of the main points. It is a summary of the information shown in the graph or chart.

Second, a conclusion should be at the end of a piece of writing. An overview or general summary could go either at the end or near the beginning. Personally, I think it's a good idea to describe the main features of the graph or chart near the beginning of your essay.

So, my suggested essay structure for task 1 looks like this:

1. Introduction: what does the chart show?
2. Overview / summary: what are the most noticeable features?
3. Specific details: try to write 2 paragraphs.

IELTS Writing Task 1: how to describe future years

Several people have asked me how to write about future years on a graph or chart. For example, what tense should you use if the graph shows the year 2025?

Try this exercise: take a description of past years, and rewrite it with future years.

Past:

In 1999, the proportion of people using the Internet in the USA was about 20%. The figures for Canada and Mexico were lower, at about 10% and 5% respectively. In 2005, Internet usage in both the USA and Canada rose to around 70% of the population, while the figure for Mexico reached just over 25%.

Future (I've changed the years and the verbs):

In 2015, the proportion of people using the Internet in the USA is expected to be about 20%. The figures for Canada and Mexico are likely to be lower, at about 10% and 5% respectively. In 2025, it is predicted that Internet usage in both the USA and Canada will rise to around 70% of the population, while the figure for Mexico should reach just over 25%.

IELTS Writing Task 1: comparing numbers

Fill the gaps in the following text using the words below it. If you find any of the gaps difficult, miss them and come back to them after doing the easier ones.

Emigration from the UK

The number of people leaving the UK for 12 months or more ______ ______ record ______ in 2008, ______ an estimated 427,000 people emigrating. This ______ ______ from 341,000 in 2007.

There has been a large ______ ______ the number of people emigrating for work related reasons, particularly those with a definite job to go to. In 2008 an estimated 136,000 people emigrated from the UK to take up a definite job, ______ ______ 100,000 in 2007.

- in
- high
- increase
- up
- reached
- with (x2)
- a
- compared
- was

IELTS Writing Task 1: describing 2 charts

Here are some tips for writing about 2 charts, graphs or tables:

1. Introduction

Write one sentence, but introduce each chart separately e.g. "The first bar chart shows..., and the second chart illustrates..."

2. Summary of main points

Write 2 sentences. If the information in the charts is not connected, find one main point or general trend for each chart. If the charts are connected, try to make comparisons.

3. Main body paragraphs

If the 2 charts are completely different (e.g. a graph and a table), write a separate paragraph about each.

If the charts are the same, and show the same information (e.g. 2 pie charts), don't describe them separately; the examiner will want to see comparisons. In this case, you could write one paragraph describing all of the information, but I still prefer to write 2 paragraphs because it makes the essay look more organised.

IELTS Writing Task 1: accuracy

The gap-fill exercise below should test whether you can describe numbers accurately. I'll put the correct answers in the 'comments' area tomorrow.

UK Household Expenditure in 2009

Household ______ ______ highest in the transport category, ______ £63 a week. This included £21.10 per week ______ purchase of vehicles, £31.80 on the operation of personal transport (such as petrol, diesel, repairs and servicing) and £10.50 on transport services such as rail, tube and bus fares.

Food and non-alcoholic drink purchases ______ £51 to weekly household expenditure - £13.10 of which ______ ______ on meat and fish, £3.70 on fresh vegetables, and £3.00 on fresh fruit. Non-alcoholic drinks ______ ______ £4.00 ______ weekly expenditure, and £2.10 per week was spent on chocolate and confectionery.

Fill the gaps with the following words:

spent, spending, for, on, at, of, accounted, contributed, was (x2)

IELTS Writing Task 1: 'table' essay

Here's my band 9 essay following the steps in last week's lesson:

The table below gives information on consumer spending on different items in five different countries in 2002.

Percentage of national consumer expenditure by category - 2002

The table shows percentages of consumer expenditure for three categories of products and services in five countries in 2002.

It is clear that the largest proportion of consumer spending in each country went on food, drinks and tobacco. On the other hand, the leisure/education category has the lowest percentages in the table.

Out of the five countries, consumer spending on food, drinks and tobacco was noticeably higher in Turkey, at 32.14%, and Ireland, at nearly 29%. The proportion of spending on leisure and education was also highest in Turkey, at 4.35%, while expenditure on clothing and footwear was significantly higher in Italy, at 9%, than in any of the other countries.

It can be seen that Sweden had the lowest percentages of national consumer expenditure for food/drinks/tobacco and for clothing/footwear, at nearly 16% and just over 5% respectively. Spain had slightly higher figures for these categories, but the lowest figure for leisure/education, at only 1.98%.

Note:
- Which information did I choose to include in my 'summary' paragraph?
- Why did I use past and present tenses in paragraph 2?
- How did I group the information for paragraphs 3 and 4?

IELTS Writing Task 1: my thinking steps

Today I'm going to explain my thinking process when I answer an IELTS Writing Task 1 question. We'll use this question (Cambridge IELTS 7, page 30):

The table below gives information on consumer spending on different items in five different countries in 2002.

Percentage of national consumer expenditure by category - 2002

Before I worry about what language to use, it's really important to understand the information, and decide how to organise it. This is what I'm thinking:

1. I know that I can write a short introduction by paraphrasing the question.
2. I look for an overall trend. I can see that the food/drinks/tobacco category has the highest percentages, and leisure/education has the lowest.
3. Now I want to write two main body paragraphs. I need to select something to say about each country. Remember, there is no rule about what information you select; everyone will do this differently.
4. I look for the highest figures in each category: I can see that Turkey has the highest figure for food/drinks/tobacco AND for education/leisure. Italy has the highest figure for clothing/footwear.
5. So, I'll write a paragraph about Turkey and Italy.
6. My final paragraph needs to talk about Ireland, Spain and Sweden.
7. Maybe I'll point out that Ireland has a high figure for the first category, Spain has the lowest figure for education/leisure, and Sweden has the lowest figures for the first AND second categories.
8. I don't need a conclusion because I have already mentioned a general trend in point 2.

Try writing an essay following these steps. You can compare your essay with mine next week.

IELTS Writing Task 1: graph and table essay

Last week I wrote a plan for this question. Now I've added my full essay below.

The graph and table below give information about water use worldwide and water consumption in two different countries.

The charts compare the amount of water used for agriculture, industry and homes around the world, and water use in Brazil and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

It is clear that global water needs rose significantly between 1900 and 2000, and that agriculture accounted for the largest proportion of water used. We can also see that water consumption was considerably higher in Brazil than in the Congo.

In 1900, around 500km³ of water was used by the agriculture sector worldwide. The figures for industrial and domestic water consumption stood at around one fifth of that amount. By 2000, global water use for agriculture had increased to around 3000km³, industrial water use had risen to just under half that amount, and domestic consumption had reached approximately 500km³.

In the year 2000, the populations of Brazil and the Congo were 176 million and 5.2 million respectively. Water consumption per person in Brazil, at 359m³, was much higher than that in the Congo, at only 8m³, and this could be explained by the fact that Brazil had 265 times more irrigated land.

(184 words, band 9)

IELTS Writing Task 1: 'water use' graph and table

The following question comes from Cambridge IELTS book 6, page 30.

The graph and table below give information about water use worldwide and water consumption in two different countries.

Here's my plan for a 4-paragraph essay:

1. Introduction - rewrite the question in a different way.
2. Summary - write one sentence summarising the trend shown on the graph, and one sentence summarising the table.
3. Details paragraph - describe the graph in detail (maybe 3 sentences).
4. Details paragraph - describe the table in detail (maybe 3 sentences).

Remember: we don't write a conclusion because a conclusion means a final decision or opinion. However, you can put the summary at the end (instead of second) if you want.

IELTS Grammar: using 'see' in writing task 1

A few people have asked me about using 'see' to describe numbers on a graph or chart. Look at the following sentence:

• In Britain, CD sales increased dramatically in the 1980s.

We can write the same sentence in various ways using 'see':

• Britain saw a dramatic increase in CD sales in the 1980s.
• The 1980s saw a dramatic increase in CD sales in Britain.
• British shops saw CD sales increase dramatically in the 1980s.

IELTS Writing Task 1: 'in' and 'by' with dates

Look at the following description:

In 2002, the cost of an average house in the UK was around £130,000. By 2007, the average house price had risen to almost £190,000, but it fell back to just under £150,000 in 2008.

Notice the verbs used with "in" and "by":

• I used "in" with the past simple (was, fell).
• I used "by" with the past perfect (had risen) to give the idea that the increase had happened in the years leading up to 2007.
• To avoid worrying about "by + past perfect" you could write: "Between 2002 and 2007, the average house price rose to..."

IELTS Writing Task 1: pie chart essay

Here's my full essay for the pie charts in last week's lesson. I've made the last two paragraphs into a gap-fill exercise to focus your attention on some good ways to describe numbers.

Fill the gaps with these words:
constitutes, drops, amount, fifth, higher, make, one, relative, figure, up

The pie charts compare the proportion of carbohydrates, protein and fat in three different diets, namely an average diet, a healthy diet, and a healthy diet for sport.

It is noticeable that sportspeople require a diet comprising a significantly higher proportion of carbohydrates than an average diet or a healthy diet. The average diet contains the lowest percentage of carbohydrates but the highest proportion of protein.

Carbohydrates ______ ______ 60% of the healthy diet for sport. This is 10% ______ than the proportion of carbohydrates in a normal healthy diet, and 20% more than the proportion in an average diet. On the other hand, people who eat an average diet consume a greater ______ ______ of protein (40%) than those who eat a healthy diet (30%) and sportspeople (25%).

The third compound shown in the charts is fat. Fat ______ exactly ______ ______ of both the average diet and the healthy diet, but the ______ ______ to only 15% for the healthy sports diet.

IELTS Writing Task 1: introduction and summary

Last week I said that you need to do 3 things to write a task 1 essay: introduce, summarise, and describe details. Today I'll look at the introduction and summary for the pie charts below.

Introduction - just say what the pie charts show:

The pie charts compare the proportion of carbohydrates, protein and fat in three different diets, namely an average diet, a healthy diet, and a healthy diet for sport.

Note: Don't try to 'show off' in your introduction. Just use 'show', 'compare' or 'illustrate'; don't use words like 'depict' or 'indicate'.

Summary - write 2 sentences about the main/general points:

It is noticeable that sportspeople require a diet comprising a significantly higher proportion of carbohydrates than an average diet or a healthy diet. The average diet contains the lowest percentage of carbohydrates but the highest proportion of protein.

Note: There is no 'right' way to choose your main/general points. Just choose the two things that you notice first. I try to avoid specific numbers in my summaries - save numbers for the 'details' paragraphs. We'll look at those next week.

IELTS Writing Task 1: pie chart practice

Try doing a Google image search for 'pie charts' and you'll find plenty of charts that you could practise describing. Here's one I found:

To write an essay, you need to do 3 things:

1. Introduce the chart by saying what it shows.
2. Summarise the information by describing the main/general points.
3. Describe the charts in detail, comparing the figures (2 paragraphs).

IELTS Writing Task 1: table exercise

The chart below shows average hours and minutes spent by UK males and females on different daily activities.

I've made the following essay into a gap-fill exercise.

The table compares the average ______ of time per day that men and women in the UK spend ______ different activities.

It is clear that people in the UK spend more time ______ than doing any other daily activity. Also, there are significant differences between the time ______ by men and women on employment/study and housework.

On average, men and women in the UK ______ for about 8 hours per day. Leisure ______ ______ the second largest proportion of their time. Men spend 5 hours and 25 minutes doing various leisure activities, such as watching TV or doing sport, ______ women have 4 hours and 53 minutes of leisure time.

It is noticeable that men work or study for an average of 79 minutes more than women every day. By contrast, women spend 79 minutes more than men doing housework, and they spend ______ ______ as much time looking after children.

Fill the gaps using these words:
doing, up, over, spent, while, sleeping, sleep, twice, amount, takes

IELTS Writing Task 1: tables

Tables seem difficult when they contain a lot of numbers. Here's some advice:

• Try to write 4 paragraphs - introduction, summary of main points, 2 detail paragraphs.

• Before you start writing, highlight some key numbers. Choose the biggest number in each category in the table (i.e. in each column and row). If the table shows years, look for the biggest changes in numbers over the time period. You could also mention the smallest numbers, but you can ignore 'middle' numbers (neither biggest nor smallest).

• For your summary paragraph, try to compare whole categories (columns or rows) rather than individual 'cells' in the table. If you can't compare whole categories, compare the biggest and smallest number. Write 2 sentences for the summary.

• In your two 'details' paragraphs, never describe each category (column or row) separately. The examiner wants to see comparisons. Try to organise the numbers you highlighted into 2 groups - one for each paragraph (e.g. highest numbers for all categories together, and lowest numbers together).

• Describe / compare the numbers you highlighted - include at least 3 numbers in each paragraph.

• Use the past simple for past years, and 'will' or 'is expected/predicted to' for future years. If no time is shown, use the present simple.

IELTS Writing Task 1: line graph exercise

The graph below shows UK acid rain emissions, measured in millions of tonnes, from four different sectors between 1990 and 2007.

I've made the following essay into a gap-fill exercise.

The line graph compares four sectors in ______ of the amount of acid rain emissions that they produced over a period of 17 years in the UK.

It is clear that the total amount of acid rain emissions in the UK ______ ______ between 1990 and 2007. The most ______ decrease was seen in the electricity, gas and water supply sector.

In 1990, around 3.3 million tonnes of acid rain emissions came from the electricity, gas and water sector. The transport and communication sector was ______ for about 0.7 million tonnes of emissions, while the domestic sector ______ around 0.6 million tonnes. Just over 2 million tonnes of acid rain gases came from other industries.

Emissions from electricity, gas and water supply fell dramatically to only 0.5 million tonnes in 2007, a ______ of almost 3 million tonnes. While acid rain gases from the domestic sector and other industries fell gradually, the transport sector ______ a small increase in emissions, ______ a peak of 1 million tonnes in 2005.

Fill the gaps using these words:
produced, reaching, fell, responsible, saw, considerably, terms, drop, dramatic

IELTS Writing Task 1: general to specific

If you read any of my example essays, you will see that I always write 4 paragraphs, and I use a "general to specific" essay structure.

• The introduction is the most general part of the essay; it tells the reader what the chart is about.
• Then I write a paragraph about the main points or the most general points.
• Finally, I write 2 paragraphs describing specific facts or figures.
• I don't write a conclusion because I have already summarised the information in paragraph 2.

One reason I put the summary near the beginning (rather than at the end) is because I think it's easier to describe general things first, then specific things later.

IELTS Writing Task 1: house prices (full essay)

Here's my full essay (band 9) for last week's question:

The bar chart compares the cost of an average house in five major cities over a period of 13 years from 1989.

We can see that house prices fell overall between 1990 and 1995, but most of the cities saw rising prices between 1996 and 2002. London experienced by far the greatest changes in house prices over the 13-year period.

Over the 5 years after 1989, the cost of average homes in Tokyo and London dropped by around 7%, while New York house prices went down by 5%. By contrast, prices rose by approximately 2% in both Madrid and Frankfurt.

Between 1996 and 2002, London house prices jumped to around 12% above the 1989 average. Homebuyers in New York also had to pay significantly more, with prices rising to 5% above the 1989 average, but homes in Tokyo remained cheaper than they were in 1989. The cost of an average home in Madrid rose by a further 2%, while prices in Frankfurt remained stable.

(165 words)

IELTS Writing Task 1: 'house prices' chart

The question below comes from Cambridge IELTS book 7. Students tend to find this question difficult, but last week's lesson about house prices might help.

The chart below shows information about changes in average house prices in five different cities between 1990 and 2002 compared with the average house prices in 1989.

Some advice:

• Introduction: paraphrase the question.
• Summary: compare the two periods (prices fell overall from 1990-95, but rose from 1996-2002), and mention that London prices changed the most.
• Details: write one paragraph about each period.
• Note: don't write -5%, write "fell by 5%".

I'm afraid I can't give feedback for essays that people share in the "comments" area, but I'll share my own full essay next week.

IELTS Writing Task 1: house prices

If you want to learn how to describe trends (increase, decrease etc.), search for some news about house prices.

Here's part of a news article I found about UK house prices:

There was seemingly good news for UK home owners when Halifax announced house prices had risen by 0.3% in July 2011, boosting the average value of a property to £163,981. Halifax also noted that prices were 0.5% higher over the three months from May to July than in the previous three months.

But is it time to celebrate the renaissance of the housing market? Even Halifax’s index shows that over the preceding 12-month period, prices actually fell by 2.6%. Despite the price increases seen in recent months, we are finding that the average price of a property remains just under 13% below its peak in 2007.

Try to answer the questions below. Write a full sentence for each answer.

1. What happened to UK house prices in July 2011?
2. What do the figures 0.5% and 2.6% refer to?
3. Compare the 2011 average UK house price with the 2007 average.

I'll share my answers in the "comments" area tomorrow, and we'll look at an IELTS question about house prices next week (Cambridge 7, test 3).

IELTS Writing Task 1: process diagrams

Process diagrams show how something is done or made. They always show steps/stages. Here's some advice about how to describe them:

• Try to write 4 paragraphs - introduction, summary of main points, 2 detail paragraphs.

• Write the introduction by paraphrasing the question (rewrite it by changing some of the words).

• For your summary, first say how many steps there are in the process. Then say where/how the process begins and ends (look at the first and last stages).

• In paragraphs 3 and 4, describe the process step by step. Include the first and last steps that you mentioned in the summary, but try to describe them in more detail or in a different way.

• You could describe the steps in one paragraph, but it looks more organised if you break the description into two paragraphs. Just start paragraph 4 somewhere in the middle of the process.

• Mention every stage in the process.

• Use 'sequencing' language e.g. at the first / second / following / final stage of the process, next, after that, then, finally etc.

• Times (e.g. past dates) are not usually shown, so use the present simple tense.

• It's usually a good idea to use the passive e.g. 'At the final stage, the product is delivered to shops' (because we don't need to know who delivered the product).

IELTS Writing Task 1: line graphs

Line graphs always show changes over time. Here's some advice about how to describe them:

• Try to write 4 paragraphs - introduction, summary of main points, 2 detail paragraphs.

• For your summary paragraph, look at the "big picture" - what changes happened to all of the lines from the beginning to the end of the period shown (i.e. from the first year to the last). Is there a trend that all of the lines follow (e.g. an overall increase)?

• You don't need to give numbers in your summary paragraph. Numbers are specific details. Just mention general things like 'overall change', 'highest' and 'lowest', without giving specific figures.

• Never describe each line separately. The examiner wants to see comparisons.

• If the graph shows years, you won't have time to mention all of them. The key years to describe are the first year and the last year. You should also mention any 'special' years (e.g. a peak or a significant rise/fall).

• Start describing details (paragraph 3) with a comparison of the lines for the first year shown on the graph (e.g. In 1990, the number of...).

• Use the past simple (increased, fell) for past years, and 'will' or 'is expected/predicted to' for future years.

• Don't use the passive (e.g. the number was increased), continuous (e.g. the number was increasing), or perfect tenses (e.g. the number has increased).

IELTS Writing Task 1: full essay

The table below shows the proportion of different categories of families living in poverty in Australia in 1999.

The table gives information about poverty rates among six types of household in Australia in the year 1999.

It is noticeable that levels of poverty were higher for single people than for couples, and people with children were more likely to be poor than those without. Poverty rates were considerably lower among elderly people.

Overall, 11% of Australians, or 1,837,000 people, were living in poverty in 1999. Aged people were the least likely to be poor, with poverty levels of 6% and 4% for single aged people and aged couples respectively.

Just over one fifth of single parents were living in poverty, whereas only 12% of parents living with a partner were classed as poor. The same pattern can be seen for people with no children: while 19% of single people in this group were living below the poverty line, the figure for couples was much lower, at only 7%.

(150 words, band 9)

IELTS Writing Task 1: different introductions

The table below shows the proportion of different categories of families living in poverty in Australia in 1999.

(Cambridge IELTS 4, page 31)

Here are 3 introductions that paraphrase the question in different ways. Notice that I sometimes use words from the table to help me.

1) The chart compares percentages of Australians from six different family types who were classed as poor in 1999.

2) The table gives information about poverty rates among six types of household in Australia in the year 1999.

3) The table compares different categories of Australian families in terms of the proportion of people living below the poverty line in each one.

IELTS Writing Task 1: full essay (describe a map)

In last week's lesson we looked at a 'describe a map' question. If you wrote an essay for this question, compare it with my essay below.

Here's my band 9 essay. I focused on describing similarities and differences.

The map shows two potential locations (S1 and S2) for a new supermarket in a town called Garlsdon.

The main difference between the two sites is that S1 is outside the town, whereas S2 is in the town centre. The sites can also be compared in terms of access by road or rail, and their positions relative to three smaller towns.

Looking at the information in more detail, S1 is in the countryside to the north west of Garlsdon, but it is close to the residential area of the town. S2 is also close to the housing area, which surrounds the town centre.

There are main roads from Hindon, Bransdon and Cransdon to Garlsdon town centre, but this is a no traffic zone, so there would be no access to S2 by car. By contrast, S1 lies on the main road to Hindon, but it would be more difficult to reach from Bransdon and Cransdon. Both supermarket sites are close to the railway that runs through Garlsdon from Hindon to Cransdon.

IELTS Writing Task 1: describe a map

Sometimes (quite rarely) you have to describe a map for IELTS Writing Task 1. Today I'll explain how I would answer this type of question.

The map below is of the town of Garlsdon. A new supermarket (S) is planned for the town. The map shows two possible sites for the supermarket.

(From Cambridge IELTS 5)

Here is some advice:

1. Introduction - Just paraphrase the question (instead of 'two possible sites' you could write 'two potential locations').
2. Summary - The main point is that the first site (S1) is outside the town, whereas the second site is in the town centre. Also, you could mention that the map shows the position of both sites relative to a railway and three roads which lead to three smaller towns.
3. Details (2 paragraphs) - Don't write a separate paragraph about each site; it's much better to compare the sites. I'd write one paragraph comparing the position of each site relative to Garlsdon (mention the different areas of the town), and another paragraph about the positions relative to transport links with the other three towns.