City & Directions — A2 Essential Words

left /left/ noun and adverb A2 City

Meaning: The side or direction that is opposite to right. When you face north, west is on your left.

Example: Turn left at the bank and walk two blocks.

Another example: The store is on your left, next to the park.

Collocations: turn left · on the left · left side

Synonyms: left-hand side

Antonyms: right

Word family: left (n/adv) · left-hand (adj) · left-handed (adj)

⚠ Common mistake: Be careful: ’left’ is also the past form of ’leave’. In directions, use ’on the left’ for position and ’turn left’ for movement — no ’to the left’ after ’turn’.

🗣 In spoken American English: Drivers say ’Hang a left!’ informally to mean turn left. ’Left-handed’ people write with their left hand — about one person in ten.

Register: neutral — fine in speech and writing

right /raɪt/ noun and adverb A2 City

Meaning: The side or direction opposite to left. It also means ’correct’: ’the right answer’.

Example: The hospital is on the right, after the bridge.

Another example: Turn right at the next street.

Collocations: turn right · on the right · right side

Synonyms: right-hand side, correct (for the other meaning)

Antonyms: left, wrong (for the ’correct’ meaning)

Word family: right (n/adv) · right-hand (adj) · right-handed (adj)

⚠ Common mistake: Don’t mix up ’right’ (direction or correct) with ’write’ (to put words on paper) — they sound the same but are spelled differently. In directions, say ’on the right’, not ’in the right’.

🗣 In spoken American English: ’Right?’ at the end of a sentence asks ’Do you agree?’ And ’Right away!’ means immediately.

Register: neutral — fine in speech and writing

straight /streɪt/ adverb and adjective A2 City

Meaning: In a line that does not turn; directly forward without going left or right.

Example: Go straight for three blocks, then turn right.

Another example: The road is straight and fast all the way to San Diego.

Collocations: go straight · straight ahead · a straight line

Synonyms: directly, forward

Antonyms: crooked (not straight, for things)

Word family: straight (adv/adj) · straighten (v)

⚠ Common mistake: In directions, ’go straight’ needs no preposition: not ’go straightly’ and not ’go to straight’. Don’t confuse it with ’strange’ (unusual) in spelling.

🗣 In spoken American English: ’Straight ahead’ is very common in directions. People also say ’Keep going straight’ while driving.

Register: neutral — fine in speech and writing

turn /tɝːn/ verb A2 City

Meaning: To change direction and start going a different way; also to move something around so it faces another way.

Example: Turn left when you see the big red building.

Another example: He turned the car around and went back home.

Collocations: turn left · turn right · turn around

Synonyms: go (in directions: ’Go left’)

Word family: turn (v) · turn (n) · turning (n)

⚠ Common mistake: Say ’turn left’ and ’turn right’ with no ’to’: not ’turn to the left’ in simple directions. When a driver misses the street, say ’turn around’ (make a U-turn).

🗣 In spoken American English: ’Your turn’ in a game means it is your time to play. Maps apps say ’In 200 feet, turn right.’

Register: neutral — fine in speech and writing

corner /ˈkɔːr.nɚ/ noun A2 City

Meaning: The place where two streets meet, or the point where two walls or sides of something meet.

Example: There’s a café on the corner of Main Street and 5th Avenue.

Another example: Turn at the next corner and you’ll see the school.

Collocations: on the corner · at the corner · corner store

Synonyms: intersection (for streets, formal)

Word family: corner (n) · corner (v — to trap)

⚠ Common mistake: Use ’on the corner of A and B’ for a building: ’a café on the corner of Main and 5th’. Don’t say ’in the corner of the street’ — ’in the corner’ is for inside a room.

🗣 In spoken American English: A ’corner store’ is a small neighborhood shop. People give directions by corners: ’It’s on the corner of 5th and Main.’

Register: neutral — fine in speech and writing

bridge /brɪdʒ/ noun A2 City

Meaning: Something built over a river, road, or valley so that people and cars can cross from one side to the other.

Example: We walked across the bridge at sunset.

Another example: Cars pay a toll to cross the long bridge into New York.

Collocations: cross the bridge · over the bridge · a long bridge

Synonyms: crossing

Word family: bridge (n) · bridge (v)

⚠ Common mistake: Careful with spelling: ’bridge’ has a ’d’ before ’ge’. Say ’cross the bridge’ or ’go over the bridge’ — not ’pass the bridge’ when you mean crossing it.

🗣 In spoken American English: Drivers pay a ’toll’ — money to cross — on some long bridges. In directions, bridges are useful landmarks: ’Go over the bridge, then turn left.’

Register: neutral — fine in speech and writing

building /ˈbɪl.dɪŋ/ noun A2 City

Meaning: A structure with walls and a roof that people use, like a house, school, office, or store. Tall ones in cities have many floors.

Example: That tall building has forty floors.

Another example: The library is the white building next to the park.

Collocations: a tall building · office building · building entrance

Synonyms: structure

Word family: building (n) · build (v) · builder (n) · built (past form)

⚠ Common mistake: ’Building’ is the noun. The verb is ’build’: ’They are building a new school’ — don’t say ’They are building a building’ is wrong, but one ’building’ is enough: ’They are building a school’.

🗣 In spoken American English: New York is famous for very tall buildings called ’skyscrapers’. People give directions with buildings: ’the tall blue building’.

Register: neutral — fine in speech and writing

park /pɑːrk/ noun A2 City

Meaning: A public green area in a town or city with grass and trees, where people walk, play, and rest. As a verb, to leave a car somewhere for a time.

Example: We had lunch in the park near our hotel.

Another example: You can’t park your car here — it’s a bus stop.

Collocations: in the park · Central Park · park the car

Synonyms: green space, playground (the play area for children)

Word family: park (n) · park (v) · parking (n) · playground (n)

⚠ Common mistake: As a place, say ’in the park’ or ’at the park’. As a verb, ’park the car’ — don’t say ’park my car to the station’, say ’near the station’ or ’at the station’.

🗣 In spoken American English: Central Park in New York is one of the most famous city parks in the world. ’Parking’ as a noun means space for cars: ’Is there parking here?’

Register: neutral — fine in speech and writing

station /ˈsteɪ.ʃən/ noun A2 City

Meaning: A place where trains or buses stop so people can get on and off. There are also police stations and gas stations.

Example: The train station is two blocks from here.

Another example: We met Julia at the bus station at noon.

Collocations: train station · bus station · at the station

Synonyms: depot (for buses, older word)

Word family: station (n) · station (v — to place someone at a post)

⚠ Common mistake: Say ’at the station’ for the place and ’to the station’ for movement. A ’gas station’ sells fuel for cars — don’t call it a ’gas shop’.

🗣 In spoken American English: Grand Central Station in New York is a famous train station and a beautiful building. People ask, ’How do I get to the station?’

Register: neutral — fine in speech and writing

across /əˈkrɔːs/ preposition and adverb A2 City

Meaning: From one side of something to the other side; or on the other side of something.

Example: The bank is across the street from the school.

Another example: We walked across the park to the museum.

Collocations: across the street · across from the bank · walk across

Synonyms: over, opposite (for ’across from’)

Word family: across (prep/adv) · cross (v) · crossing (n)

⚠ Common mistake: ’Across from’ means opposite: ’The bank is across from the school.’ Don’t say ’in front of’ for this — ’in front of’ means before something facing the same way. Use ’across’ for surfaces (street, river, park), and ’through’ for going inside something (a tunnel, a forest).

🗣 In spoken American English: In directions you will hear ’It’s right across the street’ — very close, on the other side. ’Crosswalk’ is the white lines where people cross.

Register: neutral — fine in speech and writing