take/make a second left

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englishhobby

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Are both verbs (take and make) possible when giving directions?

1) Go staight on Green Street, then take a second left.
2) Go staight on Green Street, then make a second left.

:?:
 

Rover_KE

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1) '... then take the second left.' (BE)

2) AE speakers say 'make a left', but I don't know whether they'd say 'make a second left'. They'll tell us later when they get up.
 

MikeNewYork

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We would say "make the second left". Unfortunately, I am still up.
 

emsr2d2

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You will notice that in both AmE and BrE, we changed your indefinite article to the definite article. That is because the second turning on the left is a specific turning. We would say "Go about 100 yards and then take/make a left" - even though there might only be one possible left turn, we would still refer to it as "a left [turn]".

However, when we add something like "first/second/third", we use "the". "Go straight along Green Street then take the second left" or "Go straight along Green Street, then take the second [turning] on the left".

Note the correct spelling of "straight".
 

MikeNewYork

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We also say "make a left" as in "make a left at the corner" but not "a second left".
 

Tdol

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We just use the make a left version; if we start adding numbers, take works better.
 
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