A Direction Is an Action for the Listener
To explain a simple route, name the action in the imperative: the base form of the verb without to. In a neutral short direction, we usually do not name the subject. Do not add -s or -ing.
The same form works for one listener and for several people. Please makes the direction more polite and can come at the beginning or the end.
base form of the verb + direction / route / landmark
- verb / V —
- A word for an action or state, such as work or be. The pattern determines its form.
- V1 / base form —
- The base verb without to: work, go, be.
Please walk to the green door.
Please walk to the green door.
Walk is a direct instruction, not a statement about a habit.
Straight or with a Turn
Go straight means to move straight ahead. Go straight on and go straight ahead are also natural. These options are acceptable in an open-ended answer.
Turn left and turn right mean to turn to the left and to the right. In a short construction, put the direction after the verb; do not add on between turn and left/right.
Go straight for three blocks, then turn right.
Go straight for three blocks, then turn right.
The turn happens after the straight section.
Along the Street and to a Landmark
Walk along describes walking along a street, while go along describes movement along it without special emphasis on walking. Along does not mean crossing the street.
Name the turning point with at or another suitable expression of proximity. To introduces the destination of the movement. After the name of a street with a proper name, an article is usually not needed, while the or this often comes before the common word street.
Walk along Oak Street to the bus station.
Walk along Oak Street to the bus station.
Along names the route, and to names its destination.
Turn left at the old tower.
Turn left at the old tower.
The tower helps identify the turning point.
The First or Second Street
Take the first/second street on the left/right means turn onto the first/second street on the left/right. Here, do not translate take literally as “take” in the sense of physically taking something.
In the shorter version, you can say take the first left or take the second right. If after and a landmark are added, count the streets after the landmark in the direction of travel.
Take + the + first/second + street + on the left/right
Take the first street on the right after the cinema.
Take the first street on the right after the cinema.
The number and the side together identify the required street.
Several Steps and the Limits of the Topic
Give short steps in the order of travel. And connects actions, and then means “after that.” For three steps, you can use first, then, finally. The next step should begin where the previous step led.
A direction says what to do, a question about a place asks for information, and a location description says where something is. Here, we are building directions for movement specifically. Negative commands, complex transport routes, and detailed map descriptions are not the goal of this topic.
First, walk to the café. Then take the street beside it.
First, walk to the café. Then take the street beside it.
It refers to the café already mentioned; the steps are connected.
Common mistakes
Incorrect:Please walks to the ticket office.
Correct:Please walk to the ticket office.
An imperative form does not have the -s ending, even when addressing one person.
Incorrect:Please to turn left near the pool.
Correct:Please turn left near the pool.
In a direct imperative direction, the infinitive marker to is not needed after please.
Incorrect:Take the two street after the zoo.
Correct:Take the second street after the zoo.
For the number of a specific street, an ordinal number is needed, not a cardinal number.
Incorrect:Please walking along West Road.
Correct:Please walk along West Road.
The -ing form does not create an independent direct instruction here.