GIVING DIRECTIONS
Giving
directions is one of the methods of transferring information. While asking or
writing the directions, we should be clear in our symbols words and phrases.
The
following words and phrases are important in showing the directions
Ex. North South East West
To our left, to our right, in front of, opposite beside, Behind, adjacent to, thirty yards away etc.,
In giving
the directions, if we use the pointer
symbols, they will be of more help to the strangers.
Go straight ahead- Go straight on
- Go straight (American Usage)
- Turn left
- Take a left (American)
- Turn right
- Take a right (American)
- Go past
- Go past the hunuman temple
Keep going
until you get to the syndicate bank
Take the
first/ second turn on your left / right
U shape
curve
Indicating
specific landmarks are also important, such as
At the right corner
you find a green two storied – building, near the electric transformer; beside
the head post office; at the cross roads etc.,
Distances
in time:
Ten minutes walk; two
minutes ride on a scooter, five minutes drive etc.,
Example
Directions
A:
Excuse me, how do I get to the
Post Office?
B: Yes, sure. Go straight on and keep
going until you get to the Syndicate bank. Then turn left, go a few yards and
you will see the post office on the right.
A: Thank
you very much
|
Introduction to Giving and Asking
for Directions
Direction
is the information contained in the relative position of one point with respect
to another point without the distance information.
How to give Directions
There
are basically two ways to give directions, the “route perspective”
characterized by landmarks, and the “survey perspective” characterized by
references to cardinal directions (north, south, west, east). Which system you use depends on where you
are, and who you’re giving directions to, and most of the time it’s best to use
a combination. The most important thing
is to be brief and clear.
Street Name and nearby
Landmark
Perhaps,
the easiest way to give directions is just to say what street it is on. Granted, it’s not so easy in some countries
where there are no street names, but even there it can be modified to fit. For countries that don’t use street names
you can give an area and a landmark.
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 street instructions.
"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
