LMCE1042 Breakthrough English

4.0 ASKING FOR & GIVING INSTRUCTIONS

AND DIRECTIONS
Here are some useful phrases and expressions you can use for asking and giving instructions in
English:

Know your phrases:

Asking for Instructions: Giving instructions:

How do I…? First, you…

Can you show me how to…? Then, you…
Do you know how to…? Next, you…
How do I go about…? Lastly, you…
What do you suggest?
What is the first step? Starting out:
What is the best way to…?
Can you tell me the way to do this? The first thing you do is…
How do I…? Before you begin, (you should…)
I don’t know how… Can you tell me how? The best place to begin is…
What do I do first? I would start by…
Excuse me, do you mind telling me where the
chemist is? Continuing:
Can you give me directions to the nearest bus
stop? After that,
How do you get to the train station? The next step is to…
Where can I find the nearest bakery? The next thing you do is…
How do I get to the park? Once you’ve done that, then…
Is there a supermarket near here? When you finish that, then…
Is there a sports shop around here?
Can you tell me how to get to library from Finishing:
here?
What’s the best way to get to the computer The last step is…
store from here? The last thing you do is…
What’s the quickest way to get to the music In the end, …
store from here? When you’ve finished, …
What’s the easiest way to get to the nearest Mc When you’ve completed all the steps, …
Donald’s from here?

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LMCE1042 Breakthrough English

Asking for Directions

If you’re in a new town or city and you want to know where a place or building is, these are
useful phrases for asking for directions. There are also phrases for giving directions to other
people who ask you for help.

Say “Excuse me” before you ask a person. To make it sound like a question, make your voice go
up on “me”.

How do I get to (the railway station) please?

Excuse me… Where’s the nearest (post office) please?
I’m looking for the UKM bus stop.

Giving directions

The person who helps you often says how near or far the place is:

1 It’s about five minutes from here.

2 It’s about a ten-minute walk.
3 It’s easier if I can show you on the map…

Specific instructions

Here are some useful words and phrases for giving directions on the street. Maybe you’re
helping a driver, or someone who stops you to ask for directions.

Know your phrases:

Phrases
1 Turn left / right.
2 Go straight on at the traffic lights / when
you come to the junction.
3 Take the first turning / road / street on
your left / right.
4 At the roundabout, take the second exit.
5 Continue straight for about one kilometre,
and the bus stop is on your left.
Phrases
6 Take a left at the Y junction.
7 After the crossroads, take an immediate
right.
8 Make a U-turn at the end of the road.
9 There is no through-road if you turn left.
10 Exit right after the toll.

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LMCE1042 Breakthrough English

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:

Landmarks Meanings
1 Taxi rank / taxi stand a place where taxis queue for passengers
2 Level crossing where the road and railway meet. There are barriers that go up
and down to signal when a train is coming
3 Underpass a walkway that goes under a busy road so pedestrians can get
to the other side safely
4 Overpass / flyover a road that goes over another road (or railway)
5 Zebra crossing black and white markings in the road for pedestrians to cross
the road (the markings look like a zebra’s stripes)
6 Pedestrian crossing a place in the road where pedestrians can cross. Often there
are traffic lights.
7 Tunnel a road under (or through) mountains
8 Crossroads where two roads cross each other
9 Junction where one road meets another, and you can either go left or
right
10 Fork in the road where the road divides, and you decide to go left or right
11 Turning a road off to your left or right
12 Main road a big road where there is lots of traffic
13 Lane a small road, or a part of a road (the left-hand lane / the right-
hand lane; the bus lane)

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LMCE1042 Breakthrough English

Use prepositions of direction

Phrases Meanings:
Go past continue past something so that 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

https://www.english-at-home.com/phrases-for-giving-directions/

Task 1 Discuss the situations below with a partner, and write out a dialogue together.

Situation 1: Classmate A Situation 1: Classmate B

Your lecturer has asked you and your
classmates to install a Dictionary Application
on to your phone. You are not sure how. Ask
your classmate to explain to you the way to do
it.
Your lecturer has asked you and your
classmates to install a Dictionary Application
on to your phone. Your classmate is not sure
how and asks you to explain the way to do it.
Listen to him/her and respond accordingly.

Situation 2: Classmate A Situation 2: Classmate B

You wish to borrow a reference book from
Perpustakaan Tun Sri Lanang for your
assignment. You have only been to the library
once during the Orientation week. You are not
sure at which sections your book can be found.
Ask your senior for directions.
Your junior wants to borrow a reference book
from Perpustakaan Tun Sri Lanang for his/her
assignment. However, he/she is not sure how
to find his/her book because he/she does not
really know the library really well. Answer
his/her questions.

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LMCE1042 Breakthrough English

Task 22
Task

Practice Dialogue: Directions to the Museum

Read the dialogue below with a partner. Practise reading it aloud using correct pronunciation
and appropriate intonation.

Tourist: Excuse me, can you help me? I'm lost!

Person: Certainly, where would you like to go?

Tourist: I'd like to go to the museum, but I can't find it. Is it far?
Person: No, not really. It's about a five-minute walk.

Tourist: Maybe I should call a taxi.

Person: No, It's very easy. Really. (pointing) I can give you directions.

Tourist: Thank you. That's very kind of you.

Person: Not at all. Now, go along this street to the traffic lights. Do you see them?

Tourist: Yes, I can see them.

Person: Right, at the traffic lights, turn left into Pahlawan Street.

Tourist: Pahlawan Street.

Person: Right. Go straight. Take the second left and enter Museum Drive.

Tourist: OK. Pahlawan Street, straight on and then the third left, Museum Drive.
Person: No, it's the second left.

Tourist: Ah, right. The second street on my left.

Person: Right. Just follow Museum Drive and the museum is at the end of the road.

Tourist: Great. Thanks again for your help.

Person: Not at all.

Prepared by:
Huzaiffa Mastura Mohd Supian
Harieza Hussin
Fauzanita Kasim
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