milan2003_07
Senior Member
- Joined
- Jan 7, 2011
- Member Type
- Academic
- Native Language
- Russian
- Home Country
- Russian Federation
- Current Location
- Russian Federation
Today when I had a class with students we were discussing railways and I've remembered and taught them how to call a train section. There four possibilities that I know and I'd like to clarify the meanings that you use today in BE and AE:
1. Wagon - I've found in my Collins Cobuild dictionary that wagons transport different goods, not people. The dictionary also offers a synonym in AE: freight car. I've made a conclusion that wagons aren't used to speak about transporting passengers.
2. Car - is used in AE to talk about a section of a train. in BE the same meaning is conveyed by "carriage". in BE the word "car" is also used to speak about a train's section aimed at a particular purpose, like "dining car", "sleeping car".
3. Coach - in BE means the same as "carriage". A coach is a section of a train carrying passengers. If so, is there any difference between "carriage" and "coach"?
What about these distinctions between BE and AE? Are they followed or not?
1. Wagon - I've found in my Collins Cobuild dictionary that wagons transport different goods, not people. The dictionary also offers a synonym in AE: freight car. I've made a conclusion that wagons aren't used to speak about transporting passengers.
2. Car - is used in AE to talk about a section of a train. in BE the same meaning is conveyed by "carriage". in BE the word "car" is also used to speak about a train's section aimed at a particular purpose, like "dining car", "sleeping car".
3. Coach - in BE means the same as "carriage". A coach is a section of a train carrying passengers. If so, is there any difference between "carriage" and "coach"?
What about these distinctions between BE and AE? Are they followed or not?