ESL: How to Tell Way in English (Asking & Giving Direction)

ESL, # direction, giving direction, way,

Have you ever been lost in a foreign city and needed to ask for directions? Or have you ever wanted to help someone who was looking for a place nearby?

If so, you know how important it is to be able to tell way in English. Telling way means giving or receiving directions from one location to another.

In this article, you will learn some useful phrases and tips for telling way in English.

Table of Contents

Useful verbs for directions

Turn – change direction
Go – move or proceed in a certain direction
Walk – move forward by foot
Drive – operate a vehicle and move in a certain direction
Follow – move along the same path as someone or something
Continue – keep going or proceed without stopping
Cross – move from one side of something to the other
Enter – move into a place or a building
Exit – leave a place or a building
Pass – go past or through a place
Head – go in a particular direction
Take – go or move along a specific path or route
Make – turn or change direction
Keep – continue in a certain direction
Stay – remain in the same place or position
Merge – combine two or more lanes or roads into one
Cut through – go through a place to make a shorter route
Circle around – move in a circular motion around a place
Hang a left/right – turn left/right
Go straight – continue forward without turning
U-turn – turn around and go back in the opposite direction
Double back – turn around and go back the way you came
Bear left/right – turn slightly to the left/right
Veer left/right – turn abruptly to the left/right
Roundabout – move in a circular direction around a center island
Take the overpass/underpass – use the bridge or tunnel to cross over or under a road or highway
Pass by – go past or through a place without stopping
Cut off – take a shorter or quicker route to a destination
Detour – take an alternative route to avoid a road closure or heavy traffic
Wind around – move in a twisting or curving path.

Giving Direction Vocabulary

Turn left – move to the left side of the road or path
Turn right – move to the right side of the road or path
Go straight – continue in the same direction without turning
Take a U-turn – turn around and go back in the opposite direction
Head north/south/east/west – go in the direction of the corresponding compass point
Go up – move to a higher level or floor
Go down – move to a lower level or floor
Cross the street – walk from one side of the road to the other
Walk along the street – move in the same direction as the street
Pass the intersection – continue past the point where two roads cross
Take the first/second/third street on the left/right – turn onto the corresponding numbered street in the specified direction
Go past the park – continue past the park on the same road
Turn onto Main Street – take a left or right turn onto the street named Main Street
Follow the signs – look for signs directing you to your destination
Stay on this road – continue on the current road without turning
Exit the highway – leave the highway and enter a local road
Merge onto the highway – enter the highway from an on-ramp and join the traffic flow
Take the exit ramp – leave the highway using the off-ramp
Take the bus/train/subway to – use public transportation to get to your destination
Go past the gas station – continue past the gas station on the same road
Walk towards the park – move in the direction of the park
Keep going until you reach the end of the road – continue on the road until it ends
Turn around – face the opposite direction
Walk around the block – walk along all sides of the block to reach the destination
Follow the footpath – walk on the designated pedestrian path
Take the elevator to the 4th floor – use the elevator to go to the fourth level of the building
Use the stairs – walk up or down the stairs instead of using the elevator
Find the nearest crosswalk – locate the designated pedestrian crossing area
Make a sharp turn – make a quick and significant change in direction
Go back to where you started – return to the point where you began the journey.

Distance Vocabulary

Near – at a short distance away
Far – at a considerable distance away
Close – within a short distance of something or someone
Distant – existing or occurring far away
Adjacent – next to or adjoining something else
Proximity – nearness in space, time, or relationship
Within walking distance – close enough to walk to without taking transportation
Across the street – on the other side of the road
Down the road – farther along the same road
Up the road – closer to the starting point on the same road
Around the corner – nearby, but not visible from the current location
Across the river/lake/ocean – on the opposite side of a body of water
In the vicinity – in the surrounding area
Over there – at a specific location pointed to
Just ahead – a short distance in front
A stone’s throw away – a short distance away
Half a mile down the road – a specific distance in the same direction
About a mile away – an approximate distance from the current location
Within sight – close enough to be seen
Two blocks north – a specific distance and direction away
Three exits down the highway – a specific distance and direction away on the highway
A few steps away – a very short distance away
A couple of blocks over – a specific distance away in a different direction
About five minutes by car – an approximate distance in terms of travel time
Up ahead on the left – a specific direction and location
Three streets to the right – a specific distance and direction away
Straight ahead for two miles – a specific distance and direction to continue
Ten minutes’ walk from here – an approximate distance in terms of walking time
Up the hill/down the hill – closer to/farther from a higher elevation
On the outskirts – at the edge or outer limits of an area.

Location Vocabulary

Between – at, into, or across the space separating two objects or places
Beside – next to or alongside something or someone
Behind – at the back of or to the rear of something or someone
In front of – situated or occurring in the presence of something or someone
Near – at a short distance away from something or someone
Across from – on the opposite side of something or someone
Next to – immediately adjacent to something or someone
Above – at a higher level than something or someone
Below – at a lower level than something or someone
Inside – within the boundaries or confines of something
Outside – beyond the confines or boundaries of something
Under – situated beneath or below something or someone
Over – situated above or higher than something or someone
In the middle of – located at a central point within something or between two objects or places
On the left/right side of – located on the left or right side of something or someone
At the corner of – located at the intersection of two streets or boundaries
In the vicinity of – situated in the surrounding area or neighborhood of something or someone
Across the street from – situated on the opposite side of the street from something or someone
Down the hall from – located further down the hallway from something or someone
Inside/outside of the building – situated within or beyond the physical boundaries of a structure
On the top/bottom floor of – located on the uppermost or lowermost level of a building or structure
On the front/back side of – situated on the front or back side of something or someone
In the back/front of – located in the back or front of something or someone
In the vicinity of – situated in the surrounding area or neighborhood of something or someone
Adjacent to – situated next to or adjoining something or someone
Above/below the horizon – situated above or below the apparent line where the sky meets the earth
Near the intersection of – located in close proximity to the point where two roads cross
In the direction of – situated in the same direction as something or someone
On the edge of – situated at the outermost or furthest point of something
Alongside – situated parallel to or next to something or someone

Asking for direction, polite ways

Excuse me, could you please tell me how to get to…?
Pardon me, do you happen to know where… is located?
I’m sorry to bother you, but could you give me directions to…?
Could you be so kind as to point me in the direction of…?
I wonder if you could help me find my way to…?
Good day, could you possibly assist me with directions to…?
Hello, would you mind telling me how to get to…?
May I ask for your help in finding my way to…?
Sorry to trouble you, but could you please tell me how to reach…?
Would you happen to know how to get to…?
Excuse me, I’m a bit lost. Could you direct me to…?
Hi, could you tell me how to find…?
Hello there, could you guide me to…?
I’m sorry to interrupt, but could you help me find my way to…?
Pardon me, could you possibly point me towards…?
Good afternoon, could you provide me with directions to…?
Excuse me, would you be able to tell me how to get to…?
I was hoping you could help me find my way to…?
Could you tell me which way to go to get to…?
I’m not quite sure where I am. Could you direct me to…?
I’m new to the area. Could you help me find my way to…?
Could you give me some guidance on how to get to…?
Would you be so kind as to tell me how to reach…?
Hello, could you assist me in finding…?
I’m trying to get to… but I’m not sure which way to go. Could you help me?
Could you please point me in the right direction for…?
Good morning, could you show me the way to…?
Excuse me, would you mind telling me how to find…?
Could you possibly help me locate…?
I need to find my way to… Can you give me some directions?

Giving direction, polite ways

Sure, let me help you. If you go straight ahead, you’ll find…
Of course, it’s just around the corner. Go down this street and turn left at the first intersection.
Certainly, you need to head east for about two blocks and then turn right onto…
Absolutely, to get there you just need to keep going straight until you reach the next intersection, then turn left.
No problem, just keep walking in that direction and you’ll see it on your left-hand side.
Certainly, it’s a bit further down this road. Keep going straight until you see the big red building on your right.
Of course, it’s just a short walk from here. Turn right at the next street corner and it’s on your left.
Yes, it’s not far from here. Walk straight down this road until you come to the traffic lights, then turn left.
Certainly, you need to cross the street and continue straight ahead for two blocks. Then turn right at the third intersection.
Absolutely, it’s just a few minutes’ walk from here. Go down this street and turn left at the second corner.
Sure, it’s just a little further down this road. Keep walking until you see the big blue sign on your right-hand side.
Yes, it’s just around the corner. Turn right at the next intersection and it’s on your left.
Certainly, it’s not too far from here. Keep going straight until you reach the park, then turn right and it’s on your right-hand side.
No problem, you need to walk in the opposite direction for two blocks, then turn left at the traffic lights.
Of course, it’s just up the road a bit. Keep walking until you see the post office on your left, then turn right.
Yes, it’s quite close. Go down this street and turn right at the second intersection, then it’s on your left.
Certainly, you need to go straight ahead until you reach the shopping center, then turn left and it’s just up ahead.
Absolutely, it’s just a short distance from here. Go down this street and turn right at the first intersection.
Sure, it’s not too far away. Go straight ahead until you come to the river, then turn left and it’s on your right-hand side.
Yes, it’s just a few blocks from here. Walk down this street until you see the museum on your left, then turn right.
Certainly, it’s just a little further down this road. Keep walking until you see the hospital on your right, then turn left.
No problem, it’s just a short walk away. Cross the street and turn right at the first intersection, then it’s on your left.
Of course, it’s just up ahead. Keep walking until you come to the roundabout, then take the second exit and it’s on your right-hand side.
Yes, it’s quite easy to find. Walk straight ahead until you reach the library, then turn left and it’s just a block away.
Certainly, it’s not too far from here. Go down this street and turn left at the third intersection, then it’s on your right.
Absolutely, it’s just a little further up this road. Keep walking until you see the theater on your left, then turn right.
Sure, it’s just around the corner. Turn left at the next intersection and it’s on your right-hand side.