You’re lost in a new city and your phone has died! You need to find a nice place for lunch because you’re starving hungry! You can’t find a toilet and your children are desperate for a wee!
That’s just 3 reasons why you might need to ask for directions in English but of course there are many more! I’m going to give you some nice, natural phrases that will help you in all of these situations.
Watch the video to practise the phrases with me:
5 ways to ask for directions in English
So, as I mentioned in the video, it’s important to always be polite and say ‘excuse me’ before you start your question.
Here are 5 question structures you can use. Learn the parts in bold exactly and you’ll be able to find anything!
Is there a supermarket near here?
I’m looking for Henderson Road. Am I going the right way?
Where can I find a cashpoint?
Do you know where the nearest public toilet is?
How can I get to the town centre from here?
5 ways to give directions in English
Ok, now it’s important that you understand the answer! So here are a few phrases that you might hear in response:
Turn left/right at the roundabout/end of this street
Carry straight on until you see the library, then turn left/right
Keep going and you’ll see it on your right/left
If you see a big park, you’ve gone too far
It’s opposite/next to/behind/in front of the train station
Practice the phrases
The beautiful thing about these directions phrases is they are set. You don’t have to know any grammar rules or sentence structures. All you have to do is learn the part in bold word for word.
So what could you do to make sure these phrases stick in your head? Here are some practice tips:
- Read each phrase 5 times and then try to write it down without looking
- Ask a friend to give you the first 2 words of a phrase and see if you can finish it from memory
- Watch the video again and keep repeating after me
And now that you know some phrases for giving and getting directions, you might like some phrases for recommending a place in English!
Questions for you…?
Have you watched the video lesson? Which phrase was your favourite to say? Let me know in the comments below 👇😊
6 Responses
Hi Nicki, for me I really like the phrase ‘Do you know where the nearest XX is?’ I think it’s very useful whenever we try to find something. Thank you, Marie
Yep, that’s a great one for lots of situations!
Thanks for the feedback Marie 😊
Hi Nicki!
I followed your advice to read the phrases 5 times and then to write them down without looking. The result was a little bit strange for me but useful. Thanks for the brilliant lesson.
Haha, yes it’s not as easy as it sounds! Keep trying though, the results will get better!
I’m glad you liked the lesson 🧡
I love all the examples! Especially “If you see a xxx, you’ve gone too far” could be more useful for me. We make mistakes so easily, so
sometimes counterexamples could be more helpful, I think. ^.^
Yes exactly Dongyal Seo!! I’m so happy to hear you found these directions phrases useful 😊