How was your trip/journey?

[Rachel Adams]

This screenshot is from "Practical English Usage" by Michael Swan.

The book says compare the difference between "How was your journey?" "The train broke down." And "How was your trip?" "Successful." Could you please explain the difference to me?

 

[emsr2d2]

The journey refers to the time you spent actually travelling from A to B. The trip covers the whole time from when you left home until you returned home.

 

[Yankee]

Each one could inquire about different circumstances that the questioner might or might not have known in advance. For example, ".....your journey" could suggest knowing the trip was lengthy or required a complicated route; "... your trip" could be a simple inquiry about the results of the person's travel.

 

[Rachel Adams]

Each one could inquire about different circumstances that the questioner might or might not have known in advance. For example, ".....your journey" could suggest knowing the trip was lengthy or required a complicated route; "... your trip" could be a simple inquiry about the results of the person's travel.

So does "journey" usually, maybe, not always suggest a lengthy and/or complicated route unlike trip? If so using "trip" to refer to a lengthy and/or complicated route must be wrong.

 

[Rover_KE]

So does "journey" usually, maybe, not always suggest a lengthy and/or complicated route unlike trip? If so using "trip" to refer to a lengthy and/or complicated route must be wrong.

There are so many alternative readings of that question and subsequent statement that my head's hurting.:-(

 

[emsr2d2]

So does "journey" usually, maybe, not always suggest a lengthy and/or complicated route unlike trip?

No. My bus journey to work takes 35 minutes and involves just one bus. It's neither lengthy nor complicated.

 

[Rachel Adams]

No. My bus journey to work takes 35 minutes and involves just one bus. It's neither lengthy nor complicated.

Then the only real difference between them is that when you use "a trip", you are focused on the destination, but when you use "journey" on the process of traveling itself. I hope I understand correctly.

 

[emsr2d2]

I suggest you re-read post 2. I think I made it fairly clear.