Learn English – Road Direction Terms

directionnounsprepositions

1) What is the difference between Corner, Junction, Intersection, Crossroad and Crossing?

As per google dictionary the definitions are:
Corner – a place where two or more streets meet.
Junction – a point where two or more things are joined.
Intersection – a point at which two or more things intersect, especially a road junction.
Crossroad – an intersection of two or more roads.
Crossing – a place where roads or railway lines cross.

2) Which of the above 5 would a native speaker use for the following sentence? ( In India we almost always say crossing)

Meet me at the ____ of Park Street and Bishop Road.

3) Do we say "at the corner" or "on the corner"?
4) Which is correct "take the second left (On/Onto/Into) Park Street"

Best Answer

I’ll answer all four of your questions in list form.

  1. They all theoretically mean similar things. However, in practice, they are used differently.

    • Corners typically describe areas off the roads where sidewalks and buildings commonly are. There are typically four corners available to pedestrians where two roads meet. In the context of a conversation, it is normally easy to figure out which corner is being spoken about.

    • An intersection is the point where two roads (or typically anything else) cross each other and continue going on. An intersection is on the road itself.

    • A junction of two roads does not have to continue going on. Also, one of the roads can stop and the other can continue. (See https://www.usingenglish.com/forum/threads/181960-intersection-vs-junction)

    • A crossroad (used in North America) is a road that joins two main roads or crosses a main road according to one of the definitions by google. Similar sources give similar definitions. This means crossroads are normally side roads or roads that are not as major that are used to get onto more major roads. A crossroad is the only one on this list that is a road rather than a certain point. However, I personally do not hear this term as often as terms like corner or intersection.

    • Crossing and intersection can mean the same thing. However, an intersection is normally where two roads meet while a crossing is where a road and something else meets.

  2. It depends on where that specific place is. There is no proper way to state what is correct in this instance, but here’s how I as well as many others that I know use the words: We use “at the corner” for all cases except when a street is meeting with something like railroads. There, we like to use intersection.

  3. Again, it depends. I agree with what this link says about the word corner: http://inmadom-myenglishclass.blogspot.com/2014/05/in-on-or-at-corner.html. It gives brief and accurate descriptions of the different ways to use prepositions before corners.

  4. “Take the second left on Park Street” would mean the driver is already on Park Street and they are going to take the second left turn going onto another road. “Take the second left onto Park Street” would mean the driver is on another street and they are taking a left to get to Park Street. “Take the second left into Park Street” is technically the same in usage as onto, but I don’t hear it used much unless Park Street is the last street the driver is going to turn on before arriving at their destination.
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