Our Country, Our Places
Primary 5 · English
Our Country, Our Places
Lesson 2 of 3
12 min
At the bus park in Musanze, a visitor stops Mugisha. She is looking for the health centre. Mugisha lifts his arm and says, Over there.
She thanks him. She walks. She is lost in two minutes.
Mugisha knew the way perfectly. What he did not have were the words. Today you will collect them, so that the person you help actually arrives.
Imagine one street. On it, from left to right, stand a school, a shop, a church and a pump. Across the road, facing the shop, stands the health centre.
Now look how a few small words hold that whole street together:
Those words — between, opposite, next to, behind, in front of — are called prepositions of place. They are small, and they carry everything.
| Preposition | What it means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| on | touching a surface | The bank is on Main Street. |
| at | at an exact point | Wait at the gate. |
| near | close to | Our house is near the river. |
| next to / beside | right at the side of | The pharmacy is next to the bank. |
| between | with one thing on each side | The shop is between the school and the church. |
| opposite / across from | on the other side, facing it | The market is opposite the stadium. |
| behind | at the back of | The toilets are behind the classroom. |
| in front of | at the front of, facing you | The flag stands in front of the office. |
| at the corner of | where two roads meet | The chemist is at the corner of the two roads. |
| on your left / right | the side your left or right hand is on | The post office will be on your left. |
Careful: between is for exactly two things. For three or more, we say among: The clinic stands among the trees.
You are a stranger. The person you stop is busy. So you begin with two words that open every door: Excuse me.
When the person has finished, you say: Thank you very much.
And if someone asks you and you truly do not know, you do not invent a road. You say:
I am sorry, I do not know this place. You can ask the shopkeeper over there.
Look carefully at these two sentences.
The second one starts straight away with the verb and drops the word you. That form is called the imperative. It is the natural form for instructions, and it is short, which is exactly what a lost person needs.
Your direction verbs:
Go straight · Walk along · Turn left / right · Take the second turning · Cross the road · Pass the shop · Follow the path · Continue for 200 metres · Stop at the gate
Umutoni is at the school gate. She wants the health centre. Here is the whole journey, said properly:
Go out of the school gate and turn right.
Walk straight along the tarmac road for about two hundred metres.
You will pass a blue shop on your left.
Turn left at the roundabout.
The health centre is opposite the church, next to the pharmacy.
Now notice what makes it work. Every single step has two parts:
| Action | Landmark or distance |
|---|---|
| Turn right | out of the school gate |
| Walk straight | for about two hundred metres |
| Pass | a blue shop on your left |
| Turn left | at the roundabout |
An action with no landmark (Turn left — where?) leaves the person guessing. A landmark with no action (There is a roundabout) leaves the person standing still.
Use order words so the person knows what comes next: first, then, next, after that, finally.
First, cross the main road. Then take the small path beside the mosque. Finally, stop at the green gate. That is my home.
Tip
Action + landmark. Every step you give should be a doing word and a thing the person can actually see.
Turn left is half a direction. Turn left at the big church is a whole one. Say your steps out loud and check each one has both halves — that is the difference between a person who arrives and a person who wanders.
Answer first, then check.
Choose the right preposition: The library is ____ the classroom and the office. (between / among)
Answer: between. There are exactly two things, one on each side. Among needs three or more.
Turn this into a direction: You should turn left at the water pump.
Answer: Turn left at the water pump. Drop you should and begin with the verb.
Fill the gaps: Walk ____ the church. The post office will be ____ your right.
Answer: Walk past the church. The post office will be on your right.
A visitor wants the market. Write a polite question she could ask.
Answer (one good version): Excuse me, how do I get to the market, please? Any polite frame works, as long as it starts with Excuse me.
Give directions in three steps from your classroom door to the school gate. Use an action and a landmark each time.
Answer (a model): First, go out of the classroom and turn right. Then walk along the veranda and pass the head teacher's office. Finally, cross the playground; the gate is in front of you. Your own school looks different, but your three steps should each carry an action and a landmark.
What you learned today
Quick check
The school is on one side of the shop and the church is on the other. The shop is ___ the school and the church.
