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What is the difference between two sentences in terms of meaning?

"We live just off The Avenue. Drive along The Avenue almost to the end and then turn off to the right into a little cul-de-sac." (original)

"We live just off The Avenue. Drive along The Avenue almost to the end and then turn to the right into a little cul-de-sac." (my sentence)

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  • What is the source? You should credit or link to it if you are going to critique it. Locale is also important.
    – user3169
    Commented Jan 18, 2015 at 4:01
  • turn off (intransitive) To leave a road; to exit. Turn off at the next exit so we can have lunch.
    – CowperKettle
    Commented Jan 18, 2015 at 4:09
  • My answer is AmE, so I am not in a position to say whether the BBC is wrong.
    – user3169
    Commented Jan 18, 2015 at 4:18
  • Neither is wrong, but here's my suggested improvement: "...and then turn right into a little cul-de-sac."
    – J.R. ♦
    Commented Jan 20, 2015 at 1:03

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I would go with:

We live just off The Avenue. Drive along The Avenue almost to the end and then turn to the right into a little cul-de-sac.

Using off is probably not wrong but unnecessary with simple directions.

turn off should be related to leaving the road to get to a destination:

This is where we turn off from the highway.

or as a noun:

Is this the correct turn off to go to the beach?

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Those are terrible directions no matter how you phrase the "turn" part. You should never tell someone to go "almost to the end" or almost to anywhere. How can he tell when he's "almost to" somewhere he's never been?! Worse yet is another one I've heard: "Turn at the last stoplight"?! (end of rant; on to the answer)

If the turn is so close to "the end" that you can actually see "the end", you would say "when you come to the end, turn right". Because if it is "the end", there is no longer any main road to turn "off" of. If you could turn "off", it means the road you're on continues, which means you're NOT at the end. (If you are near the end, but can 't see the end, see above rant)

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