"tell sb the way" or "direct sb the way"?

[san2612]

Please help me with the following question

1. the Policeman ____ Me The Way
   A.told B.said c.explained D.directed

I chose D but the answer is A. What's the difference between "tell sb the way" and "direct sb the way"?

[nyota]

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I'm not a teacher
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direct somebody to something - Logman

Could you direct me to Trafalgar Square, please?

You tell somebody the way, but you direct them to a particular place.

[5jj]

The difference is that we use 'tell' in this expression, not 'direct'. We direct people to places or tell them the way there.