sign-posting

Meanings

1. 1noununcountable

   The act or system of putting up signs to direct people or traffic.

   Grammar: Uncountable: no plural form; use 'the sign-posting' or 'sign-posting' alone.

   Patterns

   • sign-posting for something
   • clear sign-posting

   The sign-posting around the new stadium was excellent, so we found our seats easily.

   Poor sign-posting at the station left many passengers confused about which exit to use.

   The city improved sign-posting for cyclists along the main roads.

2. 2noununcountabletechnical

   Words or phrases in a text that show readers how the ideas are organized.

   Grammar: Uncountable; often used in academic writing about essays and reports.

   Patterns

   • sign-posting in an essay
   • use sign-posting

   Good sign-posting, such as 'First' and 'In contrast', helps readers follow your argument.

   The teacher praised the sign-posting in her report because each section was clearly introduced.

   Without sign-posting, the long article was hard to follow.

Common combinations

clear sign-posting

Clear sign-posting made the walking route easy to follow.

poor sign-posting

Poor sign-posting caused long queues at the ticket office.

sign-posting for pedestrians

The council added sign-posting for pedestrians near the school.

improve sign-posting

The airport plans to improve sign-posting in all terminals.

Synonyms and how they differ

signage

Signage means all the signs as physical objects, while sign-posting focuses on the act or system of using them to guide people.

guidance

Guidance is a more general word for help or direction; sign-posting is specifically about signs or written markers.

Word family

signpost noun

A sign that gives directions or information.

signpost verb

To put signs along a route or to indicate something clearly.

Commonly confused: sign-posting or sign posting?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “sign-posting”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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