CEFR A2-B1 · 5 min
My first week in Paris in 2017, I got lost in the Métro every single day. Not because I couldn’t read French — I could. But I was building the mental map in English, and the English directions I had practised were wrong. I said ‘go to the right’ when I meant ‘turn right.’ I said ‘it is in front of’ when I meant ‘it is opposite.’ Words matter.
Today's focus: Giving and following directions in English
Key direction phrases:
- Go straight on / straight ahead
- Turn left / right at the [traffic lights / roundabout / corner]
- Take the first/second turning on the left/right
- It’s on your left/right
- It’s opposite the [place]
- It’s between the [place] and the [place]
- It’s at the end of the road / street
Common error: ‘Go to the right’ ✗ → ‘Turn right’ ✓
Examples in context
Try it — click to reveal the answer
▶ Which is correct? (a) ‘Go to right’ (b) ‘Turn right’ (c) ‘Go at the right’
‘Go to right’ and ‘go at the right’ are direct translations from other languages and are not natural English.
▶ Fill the blank: ‘The café is _____ the bank and the post office.’
‘Between’ is used for a position with something on each side. ‘Opposite’ means directly facing something.
▶ ‘It’s at the end of the road’ — does this mean left, right, or straight ahead?
If they say ‘at the far end,’ it’s even more emphatic that you need to walk the full length.
The most useful direction phrase: ‘Take the [first/second] turning on the [left/right].’ It’s clear, specific, and what native speakers actually say.
Independent project; not affiliated with, endorsed by, or accredited by Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Confers no qualification. Cambridge CELTA course completed — 120 supervised teaching hours and four written assignments validated to the required standard.