Tips on giving directions

The most important things to remember when you are giving directions are:

1. Be direct - you should feel comfortable to tell people directly what to do

2. Set the context - give your reader or listener the information s/he needs to understand your directions

3.    Be clear and remember that things can go wrong - be sure to give enough information so that the reader or listener can recover from an error

An example of a set of directions with tips on how they work

This is how I would give directions to someone trying to get from my office to the English Workshop in my college

The Text highlighted in pink are examples of being direct

The text highlighted in orange are examples of setting context

The text highlighted in purple is an example of being clear and remembering that things can go wrong

After leaving my office, turn left and follow the signs through the Learning Centre to the main exit. The signs are green and lead past the issue desk on the left.

Once you have left through the main exit, you should see straight away a view of the sea through the far window directly in front of you. If you can't see this you have left through the wrong exit. If this has happened turn directly around and walk in a straight line through the Learning Centre

Go to the end of the corridor and turn right onto the stairwell labelled South Stairs.

Go down four flights of stairs to the first floor - this is labelled A as you leave the stairwell - and turn right out of the exit from the stairwell.

The English Workshop main entrance is directly in front of you.

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