Travel and Directions: How Do I Get To, Which Way, You Cannot Miss It

What this session covers

For travel, daily life, and any new place, students need fixed expressions for asking and giving directions. Asking: 'How do I get to the station?' 'Which way is the market?' 'Sorry to bother you, but...' 'Excuse me, can you tell me where X is?' Giving: 'Go straight on.' 'Turn right at the lights.' 'Take the second left.' 'It is on your right.' 'You cannot miss it.' 'It is just around the corner.' 'It is a five-minute walk.' Each expression is a fixed chunk used the same way every time. Students who know the chunks can navigate confidently in any English-speaking context. Students who do not often get lost or feel anxious about asking. The lesson connects to restaurant and shopping (#98), permission (#93), and other daily-life lessons. Together they cover the practical-life-English toolkit.

Personal Reflection

Before you start — think honestly about your own teaching and experience.

When your students need to ask directions or give directions to someone in English, do they know the fixed expressions to use? Or do they freeze and translate from their first language?

Which of these have you seen your students get wrong or avoid using altogether?

Students do not know how to politely ask for directions Students miss 'how do I get to' as the standard asking chunk Students do not know the giving-direction chunks: turn right, go straight, take the next left Students confuse 'on the right' (location) with 'turn right' (direction) Students do not use 'you cannot miss it' for places that are obvious Students avoid asking for directions because they do not know the chunks

Discover the Pattern

Look at the examples. Answer each question before reading the explanation — this is how your students will learn too.

Asking for directions politely:

FIXED EXPRESSIONS:
Excuse me — opening politely.
Sorry to bother you, but... — even more polite opening.
Can you tell me where the station is? — asking location.
How do I get to the market? — asking the way.
Which way is the centre? — asking direction.
Is there a bank near here? — asking about a place.
Do you know where I can find a chemist? — asking for help.

Why is politeness important when asking strangers?

Asking strangers for directions requires politeness. The opening expressions ('excuse me', 'sorry to bother you') signal that you respect their time. Without an opening, walking up to a stranger and asking 'where is X?' can sound rude. The polite chunks make the request friendly and considerate. 'Excuse me, can you tell me where the station is?' is much better than 'Where is station?'. The 'please' is implied in the polite form. Note: 'Where is the station?' (with 'the') vs 'Where is station?' (without 'the') — the article matters for grammar. Students who use the polite chunks get help more easily and feel more confident about asking. The fixed expressions are essential for travel and adult life.

Giving directions:

FIXED EXPRESSIONS:
Go straight on. (= continue forward without turning)
Turn right / left. (= change direction)
Take the next right. (= turn at the next street to the right)
Take the second left. (= turn at the second street to the left)
Go past the post office. (= continue past it)
It is on your right / left. (= location at that side)
It is just around the corner. (= very close)
You cannot miss it. (= it is obvious or big)
It is a five-minute walk. (= short walk)
It is at the end of the road. (= at the end)

The difference between TURN RIGHT (action) and ON THE RIGHT (position):
Turn right at the lights. (action — change direction)
The shop is on the right. (position — that side)

Why do students need both kinds of expressions?

Giving directions uses two main types of expressions. Direction expressions tell the listener what to DO — go straight, turn right, take the second left. Location expressions tell the listener WHERE something is — on your right, at the end of the road, just around the corner. The difference matters. 'Turn right' is an action — change direction. 'On the right' is a location — that side. Students often confuse them, saying 'turn the right' (wrong) or 'on the turn right' (wrong). The fixed expressions are clear: turn right (action) / on the right (position). Students who know both types can give directions confidently. The 'you cannot miss it' phrase is reassuring — saying the place is obvious or large. 'It is a five-minute walk' tells the listener about distance. These chunks make directions complete.

Distance and time:

It is a five-minute walk. (= takes 5 minutes to walk)
It is about 200 metres from here. (= specific distance)
It is just around the corner. (= very close)
It is a long way. / It is far. (= distance is significant)
It is too far to walk. (= you should take transport)
It is just down the road. (= short distance)

For asking:
Is it far?
How far is it?
Is it within walking distance?

Why do students need distance expressions?

When asking or giving directions, distance and time are important. The listener wants to know how far. 'Just around the corner' (very close — minutes). 'Five-minute walk' (specific time). 'About 200 metres' (specific distance). 'Far' or 'a long way' (significant distance). 'Too far to walk' (need transport). These expressions help the listener decide whether to walk, drive, or take a bus. For asking, 'is it far?' or 'how far?' are quick questions. 'Is it within walking distance?' is more specific. Students who know these expressions plan their travel better. The chunks fit together — 'turn right at the lights, then it is just around the corner — about a two-minute walk'. Complete directions need all three: directions + location + distance.

The Pattern — What You Just Discovered

English uses many fixed expressions for asking and giving directions. ASKING: excuse me, sorry to bother you, how do I get to, which way is, can you tell me where, is there a X near here. GIVING: go straight on, turn right/left, take the next right, take the second left, go past, it is on your right, you cannot miss it. DISTANCE: it is a five-minute walk, just around the corner, far, about 200 metres, too far to walk. Each chunk is fixed and used the same way. Knowing them gives students confidence for travel and daily life.

Expression	Function	When to use	Notes
Excuse me	Polite opening	Approaching a stranger	Always start politely. Do not just ask.
Sorry to bother you, but...	Very polite opening	More formal contexts	Even more polite than excuse me.
How do I get to X?	Asking the way	Standard	The most common asking chunk.
Which way is X?	Asking direction	Standard	Asking which direction to go.
Can you tell me where X is?	Asking location	Polite	Useful when not sure direction.
Go straight on	Continue forward	Giving directions	No turning. Continue in the same direction.
Turn right / Turn left	Change direction	Giving directions	Action — what to do at a junction.
Take the next right	Turn at the next junction	Giving directions	At the very next opportunity.
Take the second left	Turn at the second junction	Giving directions	Skip the first, turn at the second.
It is on your right	Location at that side	Giving directions	Different from 'turn right' — this is position, not action.
You cannot miss it	Reassuring — it is obvious	For big or visible places	Standard reassurance.
It is just around the corner	Very close — short walk	For nearby places	Conveys closeness.

Usage Notes

NOTE 1 — Always open politely: 'Excuse me' or 'Sorry to bother you' before asking strangers. Without an opening, the question can sound rude. Polite openings invite the stranger to help.

NOTE 2 — Turn right vs on the right: Turn right is an action (change direction). On the right is a location (that side). Students often confuse them. 'Turn right at the lights, then the bank is on your right.' Both are needed.

NOTE 3 — Specific direction chunks: Take the second left (skip first, turn at second). Take the next right (immediately). Go past the post office (continue past it). Each is specific. Use the right chunk for clear directions.

NOTE 4 — Distance expressions: 'A five-minute walk' (time). 'Just around the corner' (very close). 'About 200 metres' (specific distance). 'Too far to walk' (need transport). Distance helps the listener plan.

NOTE 5 — 'You cannot miss it' is reassurance: This phrase tells the listener the place is obvious — big, visible, easy to find. Useful when giving directions to a place that is hard to miss. 'The post office is on your right — it is the big white building. You cannot miss it.'

Note

Travel and directions vocabulary is essential for daily life and travel. Students who know the chunks can ask for help and give help confidently. Cultural context: politeness when asking strangers is universal, but the specific chunks are particular to English. The lesson connects to restaurant and shopping (#98), permission (#93), and other daily-life lessons. Together they give students the full toolkit for daily-life English in any context.

💡

Practise directions through role-play. Use a real or imagined map. One student asks; the other gives directions. They use the chunks for both asking and giving. Drill the polite openings and the specific direction chunks. Real role-play with maps fixes the chunks in memory.

Common Student Errors

✗Where is station? (asking a stranger)

✓Excuse me, where is the station? / Excuse me, how do I get to the station?

WhyTwo errors. First, no polite opening — 'where is station' alone is rude when asking a stranger. Always 'excuse me' first. Second, missing 'the' — 'station' needs 'the' (the station). Always 'the station' for a specific station.

✗Turn the right at the lights.

✓Turn right at the lights.

Why'Turn right' is the fixed expression — no 'the'. 'Turn the right' adds 'the' which makes it wrong. Always 'turn right' or 'turn left' for direction changes.

✗The bank is on the turn right after the lights.

✓Turn right at the lights, and the bank is on your right.

Why'Turn right' is action; 'on the right' is location. Mixing them ('on the turn right') is wrong. Use them separately and clearly. Turn right at the lights (action). Then the bank is on your right (location).

✗How I can get to the market?

✓How do I get to the market? / How can I get to the market?

WhyQuestion word order. After 'how', the verb 'do' or 'can' comes before the subject 'I'. 'How do I get' or 'How can I get'. 'How I can get' is wrong word order — sounds like a statement, not a question.

✗It is a five minutes walk to the station.

✓It is a five-minute walk to the station.

Why'Five-minute' is a compound adjective and uses the singular 'minute' (not minutes). Compound adjectives before nouns are singular: 'a five-minute walk', 'a ten-year-old child', 'a two-hour meeting'. Always singular for compound adjectives describing duration.