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    giving directions: "into" or "onto"??

    8­ Replies
    Topic

    giving directions: "into" or "onto"??

    Comment
    Hi

    I wanted to teach my students how to give directions using a map with different street names and places to get to. I said one should explain a way like: "..and then turn right into Baker Street"... A student with an American background (moved over to Germany several years ago) stated that one should say "onto" instead of "into" ("turn onto Baker Street"). What do YOU(Americans, non-Americans) think?

    Thanks in advance!

    steph_a_d_S
    Authorsteph_a_d_s20 Dec 04, 15:18
    Comment
    i've the feeling, which may be corrected, that 'into' is BE and 'onto' AE

    i've heard terms, probably on TV, like: "take a left onto Paradise, then right at the big green building onto Sunset"

    whereas i think BE would favour: "Well, if you turn into Highbury St, and follow the road to its end, then left into London St."
    #1Authorodondon irl20 Dec 04, 15:28
    Comment
    I'm not sure whether this a BE/AE thing, or whether it has to do with the nature of the street.

    In a large city, with high buildings, "into" sounds natural to me (like turning into a gorge) but in the suburbs, wide avenues, etc. "onto" is probably the word that would spring to mind. And in the countryside or in the mountains, "onto" a path would be the choice.

    Clear as mud?!
    #2AuthorBob (GB)20 Dec 04, 15:36
    Comment
    turn right onto Baker St.
    OR
    turn right at Baker St. (I think this may be more common)
    (slightly different nuance, but should both get you onto Baker St.)
    #3AuthorRES-can20 Dec 04, 15:47
    Comment
    Google erhärtet den verdacht eines AE/BE-Unterschieds:
    |"turn right into * street" site:.us| 22
    |"turn right onto * street" site:.us| 6740
    |"turn right into * street" site:.uk| 9290
    |"turn right onto * street" site:.uk| 4280
    #4AuthorSophil20 Dec 04, 15:53
    Comment
    It has to be 'onto' from the word on. Turn on North Avenue. It would never be turn in North Avenue. so- "Turn onto North Avenue."
    #5AuthorMark31 Dec 04, 08:11
    Comment
    For AE, I concur with RES-can. In informal speech people also use the phrases "hang a right at" and "hang a left at", e.g.

    http://www.fishsa.com/fsa-gfc-charter1.php
    Directions to Adelaide Shore Marine - From East/Southern Suburbs
    Go Down Anzac Hwy
    Hang a right at Tapleys Hill Rd.
    Turn left onto Africaine Rd.
    Turn right onto Military Rd.
    Go onto Barcoo Rd.
    #6AuthorNorbert Juffa31 Dec 04, 09:03
    Comment
    Sorry, I think I got things mixed up a bit in my previous post. Time for bed. With streets, one typically uses "hang a right / left on", e.g. "hang a right on Caesar Chavez", "Hang a left on Toland". With landmarks, one uses "hang a right /left at", e.g. "hang a left at the Y", "hang a right at McD".
    #7AuthorNorbert Juffa31 Dec 04, 09:12
    Comment
    I know that it's an AE/BE thing. I'm a non-native but I've read that once and did not forget for I'm very interested in American English. It's "on the street" and also "on the road" in AE whereas in BE it's "in the street" and "on the road". So it depends on the size of the road in British English. Guess in Amercia it's usual to say "on the street" because there actually are more broad streets / avenues than in England.
    #8AuthorThomas31 Dec 04, 14:39
     
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