public transportation or public transport?

[bosun]

when you say "public transportation'', does it mean vehicles( bus, train..) or system? Also, what is the differnce between public transportation and public transport? Looking forward to seeing your reply!

Also, can i start my sentnece like this?

Public transportation is unsafe and unreliable( which i intend to say it does not arrive on time?

[hector51]

when you say "public transportation'', does it mean vehicles( bus, train..) or system? Also, what is the differnce between public transportation and public transport? Looking forward to seeing your reply!

Also, can i start my sentnece like this?

public transportation means transportation used by the public (like bus,train...)
in my opinion,public transportation and public transport have the same meaning.

Public transportation is unsafe and unreliable( which i intend to say it does not arrive on time?

yup,it's correct to start a sentence like that!

my 2 cents...

[rewboss]

Americans tend to talk about "public transportation", while the British usually talk about "public transport". The difference, then, is that one is American English and the other is British English. They are therefore both correct, but for extra points, you would need to make sure you use the right form. If you write "color" and "canceled", use "transportation"; if you write "colour" and "cancelled", use "transport".

But it's not really an error if you get it wrong, and everyone will understand what you mean.

[westwind]

To rewboss:

You're close, but no cigar. Actually, the difference between transport and transportation is BE for the former and NAm E for the latter, as you've pointed out above. I say North American English, because transportation is also used in Canada.

FYI: Although our neighbor north of the border is part of North America (pretty well the same accent with a slight difference, i.e. they tend to pronounce the "out" sound like the Scots do), there is actually some variation in the spelling, in some ways like that of the British, e.g. colour, centre, cancelled/travelled, catalogue, cheque, etc. I admit it's a tad tricky; you need to be somewhat Canadian-savvy in order to get it right. Otherwise, they do use the same kind of spelling for realize, organization, unlike the British way of using "s"--realise, organisation. In general, they pretty well use the same slang and idioms (of course they have their own too) like us in the US. Never call Canadians "Americans"--it's a huge insult. They'd correct you if you're a foreinger and don't know the difference, mainly due to the similar accent.