read or study a subject

[ostap77]

To whom it may concern.

Do you read or study a subject?

[5jj]

Nearly fifty years ago, I went up to read English. Nowadays one goes to uni to study English.

[BobK]

Me too. The long-running BBC TV show University Challenge is a good indicator of changes of usage here. At the beginning contestants introduce themselves: '<Greeting>. My name is N, [and I'm] <verb>'. In the earlier shows, the greeting was 'Hello' and the verb was 'reading'. Now the typical greeting is 'Hi' - last Monday someone even said 'All right?' A few people stick to 'reading' even now - particularly if they're at Oxbridge colleges. But most are either 'studying', 'doing', or sometimes 'specializing'.

b