Places in Town Vocabulary in English
Do more with this exercise
Learn the names of places in a town and the words to say where they are: next to, opposite, between and on the corner. Read each word and its example, then do the exercises. Some words are different in British and American English.
Shops and services
bank
The bank is open from nine to five.
post officewhere you send letters and parcels
I need to go to the post office to send this letter.
chemista shop for medicine (British English)
I'm going to the chemist for some medicine.
pharmacya shop for medicine (American English, also British)
There is a pharmacy next to the supermarket.
supermarketa big shop for food
We buy milk and bread at the supermarket.
bakerya shop for bread and cakes
The bakery sells fresh bread.
restauranta place where you can eat a meal
We often have dinner in a restaurant on Fridays.
shopping centrea big building with a lot of shops (American English: mall)
There are a lot of clothes shops in the shopping centre.
malla shopping centre (American English)
The mall is open until ten o'clock.
Places to go
librarya place where you borrow books
You can borrow books from the library.
museuma building with old and beautiful things to see
Have you ever been to the museum?
cinemaa place where you watch films (British English)
We are going to the cinema on Saturday.
movie theatera place where you watch movies (American English)
In the USA, people go to the movie theater on Friday nights.
parka green place in a town with grass and trees
The children play in the park.
hotel
We are staying in a small hotel.
school
My children go to a school near our house.
police stationa place where the police work
The police station is behind the bank.
In the street
streeta road in a town with houses and shops
I live in a quiet street.
cornerwhere two streets meet
Turn left at the corner.
bridge
The bridge is over the river.
traffic lights
Turn right at the traffic lights.
crossroadswhere two roads cross
Stop at the crossroads and look left and right.
Where is it?
next tovery near, at the side of
The post office is next to the bank.
oppositeon the other side of the street, in front of
The library is opposite the park.
betweenin the middle of two things
The café is between the bank and the chemist.
nearnot far from
My school is near my house.
on the cornerat the place where two streets meet
There is a café on the corner.
Practice exercises
Match the Words
Match each place with its picture or meaning.
Choose a word on the left, then its match on the right.
Choose the Correct Word
Choose the correct word for each sentence.
9.I want to send a letter. I'm going to the ___.
10.The bank and the library are on the same side of the street. The bank is ___ the library.
11.The park is on one side of the street. The school is on the other side. The park is ___ the school.
12.A chemist is called a ___ in the USA.
13.Stop! The ___ are red.
14.The café is ___ the bank and the library.
15.We looked at old paintings in the ___ yesterday.
Fill in the Blank
Type the missing word.
Places in town in English
A town has a lot of places: a bank, a post office, a supermarket, a library, a museum and a park. Use to with go: I'm going to the bank, we go to the cinema on Saturdays.
Some words are different in British and American English. A shop for medicine is a chemist or a pharmacy in Britain and a pharmacy or drugstore in the USA. You see films at the cinema in British English and at the movie theater in American English. A big building with shops is a shopping centre in Britain and a mall in the USA.
To say where a place is, use next to, opposite, between, near and on the corner. The post office is next to the bank. The library is opposite the park. The café is between the bank and the chemist. Use between only for two things.
In the street, you can see a corner, a bridge, traffic lights and a crossroads. To explain the way, say: Turn left at the traffic lights. Stop at the crossroads.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between chemist and pharmacy?
Both are shops for medicine. In British English, people say chemist or chemist's, and also pharmacy. In American English, people say pharmacy or drugstore.
Is it cinema or movie theater?
Cinema is the British word, and movie theater is the American word. Americans also say the movies: We are going to the movies.
What is the difference between next to, opposite and between?
Next to means at the side of something. Opposite means on the other side of the street, in front of it. Between is for two things: The café is between the bank and the chemist.
Is it in the bank or at the bank?
Both are possible. Use at the bank when you mean the place and what you do there: I'm at the bank. Use in the bank when you are inside the building: There are a lot of people in the bank. With go, use to: I'm going to the bank.
Is it a shopping centre or a mall?
Both mean a big building with a lot of shops. Shopping centre is the British word and mall is the American word. Americans also write center, not centre.
Answer key
1. bank
Answer: 🏦
A bank keeps people's money.
2. hotel
Answer: 🏨
A hotel is a building where visitors stay for the night.
3. school
Answer: 🏫
Children learn at school.
4. traffic lights
Answer: 🚦
Traffic lights are red, yellow and green. They tell cars when to stop.
5. bridge
Answer: 🌉
A bridge goes over a river or a road.
6. library
Answer: a place where you borrow books
You borrow books from a library and take them home.
7. post office
Answer: where you send letters and parcels
At the post office you send letters and parcels.
8. corner
Answer: where two streets meet
A corner is the place where two streets meet.
9. I want to send a letter. I'm going to the ___.
Answer: post office
You send letters at the post office.
10. The bank and the library are on the same side of the street. The bank is ___ the library.
Answer: next to
Next to means at the side of. On the same side of the street, we use next to, not opposite.
11. The park is on one side of the street. The school is on the other side. The park is ___ the school.
Answer: opposite
Opposite means on the other side of the street.
12. A chemist is called a ___ in the USA.
Answer: pharmacy
In American English, a shop for medicine is a pharmacy. In British English: chemist or pharmacy.
13. Stop! The ___ are red.
Answer: traffic lights
Traffic lights are red when cars must stop. A crossroads and a bridge do not have red lights.
14. The café is ___ the bank and the library.
Answer: between
Between is for two things: the bank on one side and the library on the other.
15. We looked at old paintings in the ___ yesterday.
Answer: museum
You can see old and beautiful things in a museum.
16. I want to buy fresh bread. I'm going to the ___.
Answer: bakery
A bakery sells bread and cakes. In British English, people also say the baker's.
17. The library is ___ the park. It is on the other side of the street.
Answer: opposite
Opposite is common in British English. In American English, people often say across from.
18. Excuse me, is there a ___ near here? I need some medicine.
Answer: chemist
Chemist and pharmacy are common words in British English. Drugstore is American English.
19. The café is on the ___, at the end of the street.
Answer: corner
On the corner is where two streets meet.
20. We go to the ___ on Saturdays to see a film.
Answer: cinema
Cinema is British English. In American English: the movie theater or the movies.
21. I need to put money in my account. I'm going to the ___.
Answer: bank
You put money in your account at the bank.
22. I borrowed two books from the ___.
Answer: library
You borrow books from a library.