Imagine this situation: You’re walking beside a famous monument in your town with your friends when you see a couple. They look lost. They approach you, and you start to sweat! Oh no, you need to give them directions in English!!
Picture this: You go on a short holiday to a new city…and get completely lost. Your phone has run out of battery, so you cannot use Google maps. You must ask someone for directions!
Luckily, you recently reviewed English ‘language for directions’ in your English class. So you feel confident you can deal with the situation. When the couple ask you where the museum is, you confidently give them directions in English. And when you get lost, you can ask a friendly person in the street for directions. No sweat!
Doesn’t it make you feel great? You helped someone or found your way around using your English language resources. It is an empowering feeling!
It’s good to think ahead and imagine the English speaker you would like to be. Let’s start with something useful - being able to give directions and ask for directions in English.
Where do we start? Let’s anticipate what a person approaching you is likely to say. How would you reply? The learnenglish teens page has great activities so you can practice using English phrases and boost your confidence.
If you prefer face-to-face English classes, look here: https://www.britishcouncil.sg/english-courses/adults
Useful phrases and vocabulary for directions
You need some English vocabulary and phrases before you start thinking about how to give directions. To make it easier, here are useful phrases with examples of how to use them:
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Directions |
Example |
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Turn left /right
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Turn left at the end of the road
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Take the first/ second etc. on the left/ right
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Take the first street on the right
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Go/ walk straight along
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Go along the High Street until you reach the supermarket
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Cross at the traffic lights / road sign
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Cross at the road sign and you will see the park
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Continue on this side of the road
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Continue on this side of the road until you see the Post Office
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You will see...
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Go straight on and you will see the police station
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It’s next to / in front of/ between
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It's between the bank and the clothes store
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It’s (quite) near / far
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It’s quite near – about a 5 minute walk
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It’s on / around the corner
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Keep going and the restaurant is on the corner
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It’s on your left / right
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When you cross the street, it’s on your right.
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You will also need to know the names of typical places people want to visit. Here's a list of some of them:
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ROADS /TRANSPORT |
The street The High street The main road The roundabout The bridge The train station The bus station The bus stop The taxi rank
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SHOPPING |
The shopping centre The old town The street market The supermarket
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LANDMARKS |
The castle The river The cathedral The city centre The museum The swimming pool The old town / historic centre
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And finally, some other useful phrases with examples:
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Other useful phrases |
Example |
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On foot |
It's easy to get there on foot, it’s a short walk |
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By car/ bus / train |
You can go by bus – take the number 55 |
Asking for/Giving directions
The most straightforward way to ask for directions is to use the following phrases:
1.Excuse me, where is the …..station/ park / cathedral / castle /etc ?
2.Excuse me, how can I get to …the city centre/ the bus station/ etc?
You can also add introductory phrases. They’re less direct so they make the enquiry for directions more tentative:
1. Excuse me, can/could you tell me where the ………. is?
2. Excuse me, can/could you tell me/do you know how I can get to …..?
3. Excuse me, can/could you tell me how to get to ………………., please?
In these phrases we’re used either can or could. If you want to sound more polite, choose ‘could’. You may also notice a different word order in phrases 1 and 2. It’s important to keep this in mind when you use the phrases. Let’s look at more examples of number 1:
- Where’s the nearest bus station?- Can you tell me where the nearest bus station is?
- Where’s the police station? - Could you tell me where the police station is?
When you use ‘Can you tell me...?’ it sounds less direct.
If people ask you for directions, you can give a range of replies, including many of the phrases from above. Let’s go over that in a dialogue so you can see how the conversation may develop!
Lost person: “Excuse me!” Can you tell me how to get to the Cathedral, please?
You: Yes, let me see...Okay. Walk straight along this road. Continue on this side of the road until you see the traffic lights. Then take the second on the left. You’ll see the Cathedral on the other side of the street. It’s a big Gothic building.
Lost person: Is it far?
You: No. It’s quite near... about 10 minutes on foot
Lost person: Thanks for your help!
You: Not at all/You’re welcome!
If you genuinely have no idea how to get to the desired place, you can reply with a phrase similar to the one below
I’m sorry. I can’t help you. I have no idea where (the)….. is.
Picture yourself delivering the dialogue above in either of the two roles; I’m sure you’ll feel good about helping someone out and having the chance to use the English phrases you know in an authentic situation.
If you’ve been in this kind of situation before and felt tongue twisted, you can practice giving and getting directions here with directions dialogues from the BBC. You’ll be prepared
Quiz time
Look at the phrases below that can be used to give or get directions. Try to guess which word is missing in each phrase.
- Excuse me, ……… you tell me where the bus station is?
- Excuse me, do you know …..I can get to the city centre from here?
- Of course, it’s ….your left.
- It’s easy! Walk………...along this road and …….. at the traffic lights
- I’m sorry! I have no idea where the theatre …...
Answers:
- Excuse me, Can you tell me where the bus station is?
- Excuse me, do you know how I can get to the city centre from here?
- Of course, it’s on your left.
- It’s easy! Walk straight along this road and cross at the traffic lights
- I’m sorry! I have no idea where the theatre is.