travel or ride + <by> <on the> <the>

[GhotiO |fɪʃ|]

I'd like to ask about these combinations. Which of these are most common and which do you never use?

• Last night Jack traveled <by train> <on the train> <the train> for two hours to get here.
• Last night Jack rode <by train> <on the train> <the train> for two hours to get here.

 

[jutfrank]

travel by train
travel on the train

These two are good.

travel a train

This is wrong.

ride by train

This is wrong.

ride on the train
ride the train

These two are grammatical but no good.

 

[Skrej]

ride on the train
ride the train

These two are grammatical but no good.

They're perfectly acceptable in AmE, especially the latter. In fact, it's what I'd say in this context.

 

[jutfrank]

They're perfectly acceptable in AmE, especially the latter. In fact, it's what I'd say in this context.

Fair point, but I may well imagine you standing on top of the train, as if you were some kind of earthly Paul Atreides.

 

[PeterCW]

I think that most native BrE speakers would regard "ride the train" as being "wrong".

 

[emsr2d2]

I think that most native BrE speakers would regard "ride the train" as being "wrong".

We consider it "not used in BrE". I wouldn't say it's flat out wrong because I'm well aware that it's used in AmE. Any BrE speaker who's watched plenty of US TV shows and films will be familiar with "ride the train/bus".