How do I follow the route when listening to directions?
Don't lose the starting point or the left and right turns.
2 min read · Updated 9/8/2026
The key idea
In a description of directions, first find where it starts. Right and left depend on the direction of movement the speaker describes.
- opposite — facing, across from
- next to — beside
- go past — walk by
- at the end of — at the far end of
Following the audio and the map at the same time needs separate practice. In this short lesson, first test the meaning of the words and the order of the instructions; then move on to the task with a map.
See an example
Example: Walk past the café. The library is on your left, opposite the bank.
You don't stop at the café; you walk past it. The library is across from the bank, facing it. If it had said next to the bank, it would be describing buildings side by side.
Now you try
Listening practice
Computer narration for practice. Listen first, then open the transcript.
Listen to the audio and choose.
After entering the building, where should visitors turn to reach the reading room?
A. Left B. Right
What is the reading room opposite?
C. The lift D. The café
A personal draft. It is not saved when you leave or automatically graded.
Show transcript
Show transcript
Enter through the main door and turn right. Walk past the lift. The reading room is at the end of the corridor, opposite the café.
Reveal the answer and explanation
Answer and explanation
B — Right. D — The café.
You have to turn right at the entrance. The reading room is opposite the café. The lift is something you have to walk past. Don't treat these three pieces of information as the same point: the turn, the place on the way and the final address are separate details.
What if the word in the question isn't in the audio?
Official sources for this topic
IELTS · Listening