| Sometimes, phrases
have a different meaning than the individual words - especially the case for
idioms and phrasal verbs.
This
is a common problem when you speak to native speakers. Very often,
native speakers don't realise that their English is unnecessarily
complicated...
I was
reminded of this in a Facebook group. Someone mentioned the complicated
vocabulary used by native English speakers when they give directions.
So
I've got a new page for you on advanced English directions.
There are lots of ways for giving directions in
English.
Make sure you know the basic ways first,
then check out these native expressions and phrasal verbs. They’re a little
more advanced, but you’re likely to hear them in real-life conversations. The
section on different roads also includes useful vocabulary.
If you’re in a new town or city and you want to know
where a place or building is, these are useful phrases for asking for
directions. There are also phrases for giving directions to other people who
ask you for help.
How you can ask for directions
Say “Excuse me” before you ask a person. To make it
sound like a question, make your voice go up on “me”.
“Excuse me. How do I get to (the railway station)
please?”
“Excuse me. Where’s the nearest (post office) please?”
“Excuse me. I’m looking for the Number 6 bus stop.”
Giving directions
The person who helps you often says how near or far
the place is:
“It’s about five minutes from here.”
“It’s about a ten-minute walk.” “It’s easier if I can show you on the map…”
Specific instructions
Here are some useful words and phrases for giving
directions on the street. Maybe you’re helping a driver, or someone who stops
you to ask for directions.
“Turn left / right.”
“Go straight on at the lights / when you come to the
crossroads.” (Lights = traffic lights; crossroads = where two roads cross)
“Go across the roundabout.” (Roundabout = where all
the cars go round a circle in the middle of the road)
“Take the first turning / road / street on your left /
right.” (Turning = road that goes left or right)
“You’ll see / You’ll come to a (bank). Then …”
“Don’t take the first road.”
“Go on for about (2 minutes / 100 metres).”
Landmarks
We often make reference to landmarks when we give
directions to help the other person. These can be places in a town, such as
cinema, bank, bus stop, etc. They can also be parts of the road system. Here
are some common terms:
taxi rank =
a place where taxis queue for passengers
level crossing =
where the road and railway meet. There are barriers that go up and down to
signal when a train is coming
underpass =
a walkway that goes under a busy road so pedestrians can get to the other side
safely
overpass / flyover = a road that goes over another road
(or railway)
zebra crossing =
black and white markings in the road for pedestrians to cross the road (the
markings look like a zebra’s stripes)
pedestrian crossing =
a place in the road where pedestrians can cross. Often there are traffic
lights.
tunnel =
a road under (or through) mountains
crossroads =
where two roads cross each other
junction =
where one road meets another, and you can either go left or right
fork in the road =
where the road divides, and you decide to go left or right
turning =
a road off to your left or right
main road =
a big road where there is lots of traffic
lane =
a small road, or a part of a road (the left-hand lane / the right-hand lane;
the bus lane)
Use prepositions of direction
Go past =
continue past something so that is is now behind you
Go across =
cross something, like a road or crossroads
Go along =
continue down a road
Go straight on =
don’t turn left or right
Go up =
walk / drive up a hill
Go down =
walk or drive down a hill or a road
Go through =
pass through something, such as a tunnel or a town
Go out of =
exit (i.e. a railway station)
It’s in front of you
= you can see it facing you
It’s opposite the
bank = it faces the bank
It’s on the corner =
it’s where two roads meet at a 90° angle
Typical English conversation
“Excuse me. I’m looking for the post office.”
“OK. Go straight on, then turn left at the crossroads.
It’s about 100 metres on your left.
You can’t miss it!”
“Thanks!”
“You’re welcome.”
Here is some useful vocabulary for asking for directions in English –
and also for giving directions. You can use these phrases in a business
context.
Asking for directions
Use these phrases when you’re asking for directions from another person.
For example, if you have a meeting in their office you can ask:
“How do I get to your office?”
“Can you tell me the best way of getting to your office?”
“What’s the quickest way of getting to your office?”
“Where are you exactly?”
Getting information
You can use these phrases when you reply to someone who’s asking for
directions:
“Will you be coming by car or by train?”
“It’s much easier if you take the train.”
“Which hotel are you staying at?”
General information in English
Give the other person some idea of where you are:
“We’re not far from…” or “We’re quite close to…”
“It’s about a mile / kilometre / two blocks from…”
“We’re opposite / next to / in front of / across the road from / round
the corner from the supermarket.”
Giving directions in English
“Come off the motorway / highway at Junction / Exit 12.”
“It’s signposted ‘Manchester’.”
“Follow the signs to …”
“There’s a one-way system in the centre of town.”
“Take the ‘A12’ to ‘Chelmsford’.”
“Go straight on / left / right at the lights / at the roundabout /at the
junction of … and …”
“Go past the supermarket.”
“You’ll come to / see …”
“It’s the first turning on the right after the bank.”
Use landmarks to help
“Landmarks” are points of reference and help the other person understand
where to find you or your office.
“You’ll see a large sign / roundabout.”
“On your left you’ll see an industrial centre / a hospital / the police
station.”
“Just after the level crossing / shopping centre (or mall).”
“Go past the petrol station / the garage.”
Final tips
If you’re giving directions over the phone, remember to speak slowly to
allow the other person to write things down.
Check that the other person has understood.
If you’re speaking face-to-face with someone, use your hands to show
left, right, or straight on.
Use “please” when you ask someone to give you directions. It’s polite,
and will normally get you what you want!
Asking for Directions Quiz. Level: Elementary and
above
1. Excuse me! Where can I __
2. Excuse me! How can I __
3. Excuse me! How __ I get to the centre of
town?
4. Excuse me! Is this the __ way for the
railway station?
5. Excuse me! __ where the town museum is,
please?
6. Excuse me! __ for the swimming pool.
7. Excuse me! Is there a bank __
8. Excuse me! Where's the __ post office,
please?
9. Excuse me! Do you know __
10. Excuse me! Could you __ me directions for
the motorway?
Phrases For Giving Directions
Your best bet is to... = your best choice is to …
Imagine a situation where you want to get to the
station. You ask someone who says:
“Mmm. The station… Your best bet is to turn around and
go back the way you came. Then you’ll see the station on your left.”
You’re best (off) … (+ing) =
the best thing for you is to …
“You’re best (off) taking the next road on your right.” “You’re best driving there – it’s quite a long way.”
This is similar to:
You’re better off … (+ ing) = when you have a choice of two things, one is better than the other “I don’t know if it’s quicker to go down the High Street. I think you’re better off cutting through the park here.”
Go the long way round =
go the longer route
“If you take this road, you’ll go the long way round. It’s shorter if you go via the post office.”
(a bit of a) short cut =
when one way makes your journey shorter
“This road is a bit of a short cut. It’ll take you to the station quicker.”
double back on yourself / go back
the way you came = return in the direction you took
“You’re going the wrong way. Go back the way you came, but then turn right at the lights.” “You’ll need to double back on yourself, then turn right at the lights.”
Phrasal Verbs For Giving Directions
cut / nip across =
go across something (nip = do something fast)
“If you cut across the park, you’ll get there quicker.” “Just nip across the park and you’ll be there in a minute.”
cut through =
get through (traffic / the town, etc)
“You can cut through the traffic further down the road.” “We cut through the park to save time.”
cut / nip down =
go down a smaller street to save time
“If you nip down that road there, you’ll see the station on your right.”
pop down =
go down a road quickly
“Just pop down this road and you’ll find it on your right.”
come out at / on =
arrive at
“This alleyway comes out at the High Street.”
end up in =
where you finally arrive
“Don’t take that road, or you’ll end up in London!”
Advanced Vocabulary: Types Of Roads
alleyway =
a narrow road (often not big enough for cars) between two rows of houses, or
between houses and a road / railway line
“Don’t walk down that alleyway at night. There’s no street lighting.”
a one-way street =
where traffic only goes in one direction (not both)
“You can’t go down here – it’s a one-way street!”
a dead end / no-through road =
where the road stops and doesn’t go any further
“You can’t get on to the main road down here – it’s a no-through road.” “We tried this turning before, but it’s a dead end.”
a back street / road =
a road that’s far enough away from the main road to make it quiet
“Our sat nav took us through all the back streets of the town.”
a bypass / ring road =
a road that goes round a town or city so that you can avoid the traffic
“It’s quicker if you get on the bypass and then get off again at the industrial estate.” “You can’t get on the ring road from here. Go up to the next junction then follow the signs.”
a dual carriageway =
where you have two lanes of traffic in both directions
“Most of our journey was on dual carriageway, so it was quite quick.” 
When YOU know
the essential phrases and vocabulary that native speakers use…
– you’ll be more fluent in conversation – you’ll speak with more confidence – you won’t need to translate all the time |