2 Important Tips When Asking & Giving Directions
All of us at some point or the other have asked directions of sorts to people. It could be in an unfamiliar place altogether or a specific destination that we do not have any knowledge of. It is quite a challenge to ask for accurate and to give specific directions. But who says it is impossible to be good at this? It can be learned. We are here to take you through the different aspects involved in asking & giving directions. To start with, let us look at 2 important grammar tips that will help you be accurate with asking and giving directions.
Tip 1: The use of correct Verb Collocations
In our last couple of posts, we have discussed collocations at length. They are words that go together.
Verbs like turn right, turn left, go around, go straight ahead, cross, go past, get to etc. can be used to give directions
Tip 2: The use of Prepositions of Place
These include at the junction, at the crossroad, ahead of, opposite, between, next to, at the corner, across the…, go around, across, between etc.
Let us look at some questions you can ask using these words & collocations:
- Can you please tell me how I can get to Park Street?
- Can you tell me where the nearest hospital is?
- I am trying to get to the metro station
- How do I get to the supermarket?
- Where is Lincoln Street?
- Can I ask where the Post Office is?
Now, let us look at how to give directions using these words:
- Turn left, to get to the supermarket
- Just around the corner you will notice the red building
- Turn right, when you see the signal post
- Follow the signpost for Oxford Street
- Go straight after the roundabout
- Take the second left after the post office
- Park street is opposite the hospital
- The mall is near the junction
- At the end of the road you will see my house
- Go ahead of the huge hoarding on the left
- Walmart is between a chemist shop and a food mall
Some more phrases to give & ask directions:
- How do I get to …?
- What’s the best way to …?
- Where is …?
- Turn back/Go back
- Go along
- Next to
- At the end (of)
- On/at the corner
- Behind the
- In front of
- At the traffic lights
In our next post we will see how we can incorporate all that we have learnt in this post in our conversations