Formal Commands
Giving Directions: Sol
Map Options

La Puerta del Sol - Madrid

This exercise consists of tracing on a map the directions given to a tourist on an audio file. The map depicts an actual part of old downtown Madrid known as Sol.

This exercise uses expressions to indicate location (i.e., "to the right", "to the left", "straight ahead", etc.) and imperative forms (commands) for the formal second person (usted) of verbs commonly used when giving directions: "to turn", "to keep/continue", "to go down/up", etc.

There is also some minimal vocabulary that you may not know, but most of it should be easily inferred from the context. There is one phrase with which you may have difficulties: "boca (mouth) de Metro", translates as "subway entrance".

The icon on the maps indicates the Metro entrances.

Do the exercise

Situation: a tourist is in San Martín Square (marked in the map with a red square) and needs to take bus #26 to go to a shopping district in another part of Madrid. He asks for directions to get to the bus stop. 

• The same directions are provided at the top of each map.
• Check your comprehension at the bottom of the page.

• Listen to the audio in its entirety:
  
  

  Directions (.wav)

  Directions (.mp3)

• Listen to the audio in segments:

• Listen to the audio in its entirety:
  
  

  Directions (.wav)

  Directions (.mp3)

• Listen to the audio in segments:

• Listen to the audio in its entirety:
  
  

  Directions (.wav)

  Directions (.mp3)

• Listen to the audio in segments:

• Listen to the audio in its entirety:
  
  

  Directions (.wav)

  Directions (.mp3)

• Listen to the audio in segments:

Up to the maps

Further Practice

After doing this part, perhaps you want to practice your listening comprehension skills further by doing a fill-in-the-blank exercise reproducing the indications to the tourist. If so, select this link: Listening Comprehension Exercise.

Introduction