You're learning with nine to five English, business English for the workplace
Hi Tim here with another
nine-to-five English lesson
In today's lesson. We're going to learn how to ask for and give directions
It would be great if the map apps on our phones were perfect but
even with the help of technology we can get confused in a new city a new neighborhood or a
new office building and
When we do we need to be able to ask for help
One simple way to ask for directions is to ask if someone knows where something is
Or you can just say that you're looking for a certain place
Whether it's a building or a room inside a building
One other polite way to ask for directions is with the expression
Could you tell me how to get to a place?
Why don't we try some of these expressions for asking for directions
Listen to each example then repeat it for yourself ready. Let's get started
Could you tell me how to get to the library
Do you know where the Omega Hotel is
Sorry, I'm looking for the meeting room
What's the best way to get to the nearest subway station
As
You heard sometimes you don't know exactly
Where you're going?
That you need a certain kind of place like a subway station in that case
We often ask for the nearest one
Now there are actually two kinds of questions
Here if you ask someone the best way to get somewhere you're looking for directions
If you ask where is a place you're asking for?
Location you need to be able to answer both kinds of questions
Giving directions is pretty simple
You can just tell the person where to go using expressions like go straight
turn right or
Turn left
Then you mentioned the street the person is to go straight on or where they should turn
let's give these expressions a try remember to repeat the examples after you hear them just
Head straight down Burnett Avenue for about 200 meters
Turn right when you come to the Royal Bank
Take a left on Westside road
You'll have to go up a floor and then down the hall
You might have noticed a couple of other verbs that we use to give directions
First you might tell someone to head in a certain direction in this
situation head just means go
the other verb we use
instead of turn left or right
is
Take a left or right
All right, that's directions. What about location?
How can you tell someone exactly?
where something is
Well in that case you need some location words
like a cross from to the left of at the corner and
between
We use these expressions to describe where something is in relation to something else
Let's practice these expressions and you'll see what I mean about
Describing location. Once again, repeat the examples you hear
It's right across from the Nike store
It's just to the left of the cafeteria
It's at the corner of 5th and Kings way
It's between sprout cafe and the Korean restaurant
Can you see how that works now
one thing that can be confusing is when we say right across from
That doesn't mean right as in turn right or left
it means
Directly across from something not a little to one side
but directly across from
Okay, we've practiced some useful expressions
now
Let's hear how this sounds in a conversation. Let's listen to a short dialogue
between Tim and
Zahra
Tim is asking for directions to a place
Called the Cascade
Building let's listen
Could you tell me how to get to the Cascade building
Sure, just head straight down Ellis Street for 100 meters
Thanks, and is it on the left or the right of the street
It's on the left right across from the subway station
Pretty simple, right
Zara uses one expression for giving directions and
Another for describing the location of the building
Now it's your turn to practice
Will repeat the dialogue but this time we're going to beep out the second speakers words
You will have to say those parts yourself
Remember to tell Tim to head straight down Ellis Street for 100 meters
Then tell him that the building is right across from the subway station
Could you tell me how to get to the Cascade building
Thanks, and is it on the left or the right of the street
All right that about does it for this lesson
we've learned some great ways to ask for and give
directions until
Next time so long and happy learning