asking and giving directions

1. “Read the directions and directly you will be directed in the right
direction.”
(Alice in Wonderland)

3. PLACE AROUND TOWN
1 bakery
2 bank
3 barber shop
4 book store
5 bus station
6 candy store
7 car dealership
8 card store
9 child-care center/ day-care center
10 cleaners/dry cleaners
11 clinic
12 clothing store
13 coffee shop
14 computer store

4. 16 copy center
17 delicatessen/deli
18 department store
19 discount store
20 donut shop
21 drug store/pharmacy
22 electronics store
23 eye-care center/optician
24 fast-food restaurant
25 flower shop/florist
26 furniture store
27 gas station/service station
28 grocery store

5. 1 hair salon
2 hardware store
3 health club
4 hospital
5 hotel
6 ice cream shop
7 jewelry store
8 laundromat
9 library
10 maternity shop
11 motel
12 movie theater
13 music store
14 nail salon
15 park
16 pet shop/pet store

6. 17 photo shop
18 pizza shop
19 post office
20 restaurant
21 school
22 shoe store
23 (shopping) mall
24 supermarket
25 toy store
26 train station
27 travel agency
28 video store

7. THE CITY
1 courthouse
2 taxi/cab/taxicab
3 taxi stand
4 taxi driver/cab driver
5 fire hydrant
6 trash container
7 city hall
8 fire alarm box
9 mailbox
10 sewer
11 police station
12 jail
13 sidewalk
14 street
15 street light
16 parking lot

8. 22 newsstand
23 traffic light/ traffic signal
24 intersection
25 police officer
26 crosswalk
27 pedestrian
28 ice cream truck
29 curb
30 parking garage
31 fire station
32 bus stop
33 bus
34 bus driver
35 office building
36 public telephone
37 street sign
38 manhole
39 motorcycle
40 street vendor
41 drive-through window

10. Use transitions
Separate each leg of the route with a transition.
after that
then
next
when you get to…go…
finally
Offer “Ballpark Figures” (rough estimates of time or length of travel)
Some people feel better knowing how long it will take to get from A to B.
It’s just around the corner (not far).
It’s not far.
It’s a bit of a way. (it takes a while)
It’s about a five minute walk.
It’s about a twenty minute bus ride.
Use landmarks
Tell the person what to watch for.
You will see a large clock on the right.
You will pass a gas station.
It’s across from the blue church.

11. Clarify
Make sure that the other person
understood your directions. Say: “Did
you get all that?”
If you don’t know the way…
Don’t guess! Don’t just shake your head
and walk away. Use one of these phrases:
I’m sorry, I’m not from here.
I’m afraid I can’t help you.
Sorry I don’t know my way around here.
Offer another solution
You could ask the bus driver.
Ask the front desk clerk.
Follow me. I’ll show you the way.
Do you want me to draw you a map?
More useful language
It’s on + street name
It’s across from
It’s opposite
It’s near
It’s around the corner from
Offer warnings
Stay in the right lane.
It’s a very busy road.
It’s a big hill. (if they are walking or on a bike)
There might be construction.
If you pass the … you went too far.
There’s no parking.
Repeat yourself
If YOU repeat the directions again, the other person will feel more confident. Repeat important
details including street names and turns. You can also ask the other person to repeat the
directions back to you.
If you are in the car with the driver…
Give a lot of warning.
Turn right at the next street
Get in the left lane.
Go one more block. Then turn right.
At the next traffic lights turn…
It’s going to be on your right.

12. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYC6qRckNRE

14. PHRASAL VERBS: TRANSPORT
1. Complete the definitions with the verbs in the box.
check in come back get in get on put (someone) up
see (someone) off take off touch down stop off set off
1. When you return from a journey, you __________.
2. When planes leave the ground, they ___________
3. When planes land, they ___________
4. These days, you can often __________ online before a flight.
5. When you enter a bus, train or plane, you ___________.
6. When your friends say good bye to you at the airport, they __________ you
__________.
7. When planes, trains or buses arrive at their destination, they _____________.
8. When you give someone a place to stay, you __________ them ________.
9. When you start a journey, you _________.
10. When you visit somewhere before continuing to another place you_________.
2.- Complete these sentences with the verbs in the box.
stop off come back get off get on put (someone) up
set off turn back put on come across take off
1. The bus was full so we couldn’t __________.
2. We are _________ about eight o’clock so we’ll be there by twelve.
3. We _________ in Burgos on the way back to Santander.
4. __________ at the stop after the town hall.
5. The plane is due to _________ at six o’clock.
6. The road was blocked so they were forced to __________.
7. The hotels were full so my friends ________ me ______.
8. We __________ a lovely Little restaurant in the village.
9. You’d better ________ your coat _______, it’s cold outside.
10. We decided to ________ to Scotland for another Holiday.

15. Cloze Activities
Put the words in the box into the blank spaces below:
across your
corner
down
exit far
front how
left
looking lost
miss
moment
next off
on
take
to
transfer
way where
Directions by Street Name and Nearby Landmarks:
A: You look _________________. Can I help?
B: Yeah. I’m __________________ for the Caprice
Theater. Do you know ______________ it is?
A: It’s on the _________________ of Elm Street and 22nd
Avenue. It’s ______________ to
the Art Gallery. You can’t _________________ it.
Directions by Subway or Bus:
A: Excuse me. Can I trouble you for a _____________?
B: Sure. What’s wrong?
A: I’m lost. Do you know _________ to get ________ the Stadium?
B: The easiest _________ to get there is probably by subway. Just ___________ the
Central Line to Broadway Station. ______________ to the Green Line and Get
__________ at Harbour Station. If you go out ___________ number four it should be
right in ____________ of you.
Directions by Foot or Car:
A: Can I get to the Harlton Hotel from here _____________ foot?
B: Sure. It’s not that ______________. Just go ______________ 4th
Avenue to Main
Street. Turn ______________ on Main. It should be on ______________ right. It’s
_______________ from the park.

16. A2_giving_directions.mp3
Giving directions
Write the place that the speaker gives directions to.
A:
The speaker gives directions to the .
B:
The speaker gives directions to the .
C:
The speaker gives directions to the .
D:
The speaker gives directions to the .

17. Write the sentences in order.
1. blocks, minutes right then Walk and 10 turn for then walk two for
_______________________________________________________
2. Take fifth lift the floor the to
______________________________________________________
3. your left Go building bridge then on look for tall under and the a
____________________________________________________
4. get Store 365 Department Bus off and at Take Central
____________________________________________________
5. at 145 street the the for Bus wait bus Cross stop and
____________________________________________________
6. I the ? do How to from get here stadium
____________________________________________________
7. you Go way until this station the gas see
______________________________________________________
8. how Can the ? find tell me zoo to you
___________________________________
9. get and you'll intersection, the the station see When subway the you road to
cross
____________________________________________________
10. lights Wait green. light changes the traffic the until at to
___________________________________________________

18. Rearrange the sentences to make the dialogues.
A.
…..Certainly. Take the first street on the left, then the second on the right.
…..First on the left, second on the right...
…..Can you tell me the way to the post office, please?
…..That's right.
…..Excuse me!
…..Thanks a lot.
…..Yes?
B.
…..Thank you very much
…..Is it far from here?
…..Go down this road, then take the second street on the left.
…..Oh, no. It's just five minutes' walk.
. …..Excuse me. How can I get to the railway station, please?

20. Comprehension
Teacher’s Notes
Review the meanings of the traffic signs in the map at the top of the handout. (You
may
1
want to contact your local Department of Motor Vehicles for driver handbook that
contains pictures of all traffic signs or use ESL Worksheets and Lesson Plans #10
(Traffic Signs) to review traffic signs before doing this lesson.
2 Explain how to fill in the words in the fill-in exercise. Read the words in the box
at the top of the page, read the directions, and do a few examples with the whole
class. Correct the exercise by having volunteers read parts of the text aloud.
Answers
1. 25 5. turned 9. ONE WAY
2. left 6. stopped 10. Second and A
3. right 7. Railroad Crossing 11. west
4. YIELD 8. DO NOT ENTER
3 Have students change the story from the past to the imperative.
Example:
• Begin at the Department of Motor Vehicles at the corner of 4th and A
Streets.
• Drive east to 4th and B Streets and turn left.
• Go one block and turn right on 3rd Street.
• Drive one block.
• Turn north.
• Stop at the corner of 2nd and C Streets, then go to 1st and C Streets.
• After you turn west, cross a railroad crossing.
• Drive to 1st and B Streets.
• Turn south, go one block, and turn west on 2nd Street.
• Drive one block, and then turn south at 2nd and A Streets.
• Drive past 3rd Street and arrive back at the Department of Motor
Vehicles.
Practice giving directions by having students explain how to go from school to
various places in your community.
For additional practice, try arranging desks, tables, and chairs as an obstacle
course. Have one students direct a blind-folded student through the course by
giving oral directions.
Follow-up Activity
6
Ask the students to bring in a map of the city. Ask them to find government
buildings, fire department, hospital, schools, religious institutions, airports, bus