Step 38: In the City
Urban life — City places; asking the way politely
📖 Read — Julia in Boston
Julia is visiting Boston for the weekend. She is standing in a big square, looking at her phone. She asks a man politely: “Excuse me, could you tell me the way to the public library?”
“Of course,” he says. “Go straight on. The library is between the bank and the post office, opposite the theater. It's about ten minutes on foot.” — “How far is the market?” Julia asks. “Not far — just behind the bakery.” Julia smiles. Boston is easy when people are kind!
🧩 Grammar — Asking the Way Politely
Be polite with strangers: start with Excuse me, and use Could you tell me the way to…? Ask about places with Is there a … near here? and about distance with How far is it? Answer with city prepositions: next to, between, opposite, behind, in front of.
- Excuse me, could you tell me the way to the bank?
- Is there a pharmacy near here?
- The library is between the bank and the post office.
- It's about five minutes on foot.
🏗️ Key structures
- Could you tell me the way to ___? — Could you tell me the way to the station?
- Is there a ___ near here? — Is there a bakery near here?
- It's between ___ and ___ — It's between the bank and the library.
⭐ Idiom & natural phrases
Our hotel is in the heart of the city.
🔤 New words
a place where you can read and borrow books
The library is next to the park.
a place where you keep and take out money
The bank opens at nine.
the place where you send letters and packages
I sent the postcard from the post office.
a shop where you buy medicine
There's a pharmacy opposite the hospital.
a shop that makes and sells bread and cakes
The bakery smells great in the morning.
a place where you watch plays and shows
We saw a show at the theater.
an open area in a city, with streets and buildings around it
People meet in the main square.
an open place where people buy and sell food and things
The Saturday market is very busy.
🎧 Say it with me
Excuse me, could you tell me the way to the library? Is there a pharmacy near here? How far is it?
🎤 Your turn to speak
Be a polite visitor in a new city: ask for the way to two places, ask if there is a bakery near here, and ask how far the station is.
Say it out loud three times. Even better: record it on your phone and listen — your ear is your best teacher.
✍️ Your turn to write
Write 4 sentences about places in your town. Use between, opposite, next to, and near.
See a model answer
In my town, the library is next to the school. The bank is opposite the post office. There is a small bakery between the pharmacy and the market. Everything is near my house!
Self-check: capital letters? Full stops? Did you use the grammar of this step?
📝 Quick check
Go deeper
This step is a doorway — the full lesson goes much further:
Prepositions of Time, Place & Movement: in / on / at… — full lesson + 50-question quiz
🎉 Saved in your progress!