To explain where a place is, start from a fixed point, give one direction at a time, and finish by saying where the place stands. This skill appears in speaking role-plays, in short written messages to a visitor and in reading and listening tasks about towns.
It belongs to places, travel and the environment and prepares you for the travel lessons that follow.
What does the map look like?
Here is an original schematic map of an imaginary town. The visitor starts at the station (la gare) and walks east along the avenue.
Rue des Écoles (north)
|
[Poste] | [Collège]
|
GARE ====== Avenue de la Gare ======= carrefour ======>
|
[Café] | [Parc]
|
[Bibliothèque]North points up the page. Rue des Écoles crosses the avenue at the crossroads (le carrefour). The library stands at the south end of that street.
How do I build the directions?
- Name the starting point. Sortez de la gare.
- Give a direction with an imperative. Continuez tout droit. Tournez à droite. Prenez la deuxième rue à gauche. Use the vous form with a stranger.
- Add a landmark or distance. Au carrefour… Jusqu’au parc… Après la poste…
- Place the destination. C’est à gauche. Elle est au bout de la rue. Il est en face de la poste.
- Check the contractions. à côté du café, en face de la poste, près des magasins.
Direction words to keep ready: à gauche, à droite, tout droit, au bout de, en face de, à côté de, près de, loin de, entre… et…
Worked example
Task: a visitor at the station asks Pardon, où est la bibliothèque ?
Model answer: Sortez de la gare et continuez tout droit sur l’avenue de la Gare. Au carrefour, tournez à droite dans la rue des Écoles. Continuez tout droit. Le parc est à gauche. La bibliothèque est au bout de la rue, en face de vous.
Check against the map. Walking east, south is on your right, so tournez à droite sends you down the Rue des Écoles. Walking south, east is on your left, so the park is à gauche. The library is at the end of the street, ahead of you.
Describing a place without a route: La poste est en face du café, de l’autre côté de l’avenue. The post office and the café stand on opposite sides of the avenue, so en face de is right.
What mistake should I watch for?
Mistaken answer: La poste est en face de le café.
De cannot sit in front of le. The two words must join.
The correction is La poste est en face du café. Remember the pattern: de + le = du, de + les = des, but de la and de l’ stay. A second slip is writing à côté en face: choose one phrase for one relationship.
Check yourself
1. Complete using the map: Le collège est ___ ___ parc.
Show answer
The college and the park stand on opposite sides of the avenue, so Le collège est en face du parc.
2. Give directions from the station to the park in two sentences.
Show answer
One correct answer: Continuez tout droit sur l’avenue et passez le carrefour. Le parc est à droite, après la rue des Écoles. Walking east, south is on your right, and the park lies just beyond the crossing. A route down the Rue des Écoles also works if the steps are clear.
3. Correct the error: Tournez au droite au carrefour.
Show answer
Tournez à droite au carrefour. The word droite is feminine and the phrase is fixed: à droite, not au droite.
Where does this lead next?
Next, compare travel arrangements in a fictional scenario, where you must give reasons. When you want a teacher to play the visitor and test your directions aloud, our online one-to-one French tuition is built for that kind of practice.