BBC: How to aks for and give directions

Today's programme is all about giving and understanding directions. 

Our reporter Helen is new to London and has been out asking people for directions to various different places. We'll take a look at some of the key phrases that come up as she tries to find her way around. Let's start with a simple one. 

Can you tell me how to get to the nearest toilet, please?

To the nearest toilet? Yes- you just go down the stairs here, turn right and it's just on your right. 

Nice and easy. Trun right or turn left- a simple way of telling people in which direction they should go. And if you want to describe of a particular place in relation to the person you can say it's on your right, or on your left. Let's listen to that clip once more. 

Can you tell me how to get to the nearest toilet, please?

To the nearest toilet? Yes- you just go down the stairs here, turn right and it's just on your right. 

Now listen out for s slightly different way of telling someone to turn left or right. 

Can I ask you how to get to the nearest bust stop, please?

Just go straight to the bottom there. Just take a left turn. 

Take a left turn and that's it. 

Yeah, it's just round the corner. 

That's another way of telling someone to go in a particular direction. Earlier we heard the phrase turn right or turn left.: you could also say take a left or take a left turn. 

A word that's already come up five times is just. Listen to how it's used. 

Yes- you just go down the stairs here, turn right and it's just on your right. 

Just go straight to the bottom there. Just take a left turn. 

Take a left turn and that's it.

Yeah, it's just round the corner. 

Just is a sort of filler and a way of suggesting that what the person has to do isn't difficult: just go down the stairs somehow sounds easier than go down the stairs. Listen again. 

Yes- you just go down the stairs here, turn right and it's just on your right. 

Just go straight to the bottom here. Just take a left turn. 

Take a left turn and that's it. 

Yeah, it's just round the corner. 

One thing that can be confusing when it comes to directions is the use of the word right. Listen to this clip. The word right is used in three different ways. 

Do you know how to get to Covent Garden?

Yeah, yeah. You just go- at the end of the street, go left and then go right and take the second right around the Aldwych theatre. Go right up there, then go left and Covent Garden Market will just be right in front you. You just walk down. 

Let's break that down. 

At the end of the street, go left and then go right. 

Simple enough: go right means the same as turn right or take a right. Waht about here?

Around the Aldwych theater. Go right up there, then go left. 

Go right up there could be interpreted in two different ways and even a native English speaker could get confused here. The man could have meant turn right, or he could have meant go all the way up there. Go right up there- go all the way up there. Go right up there- go all the way up there. We say things like go right to the end of the road to mean go all the way to the end of the road- very different from taking a right turn. A clue is often in the prepositions. If you're telling someone to turn, it often comes with the prepostion at. For example, Go right at the main road. Whereas the prespositon up- Go right up the main road- tends to mean go all the way up the main road. If you're not sure, just ask. So that's two different uses of right. What about the third?