Travelling and Tourism

Means of transport

by

by to
ferry,
Match by
thecar,
words
the
pictures.

by plane, by train

1. motorbike
2. double-decker
3. helicopter
4. ferry
5. sailing boat
6. truck/ lorry
7. airplane
8. coach
9. car
10. ship
11. taxi
12. bicycle
13. tram /street car

14. bus
15. train
16. hot air balloon

on

on a motorbike, on the
plane,
on my yacht, on a red bus

in
in my friends car, in an old
truck, in a yellow taxi

Prepositions IN ON BY
Lets talk about prepositions used with means of transport.
Let me share with you the prepositional rules for vehicles.

Preposition use changes depending on the structure, size, and momentum of the
means of transport that are being talked about.
Here are the basic rules to remember:

BY to say how somebody travels and with general means of transport.

For example:

by car/ by train/ by plane/ by boat/ by bus/ by bicycle, etc.

by road, by rail, by air, by sea, by subway.

Liz usually goes to work by bus.

Do you prefer to travel by air or by train?
But
Let me add some more. Please remember not to say I travelled by foot., use
I

travelled on foot.
ON for unenclosed means of transport: We use ON when we talk about
means of transport that are unenclosed and you can stand or sit on.
I am on a bicycle.
I am riding on a horse.
Ill go to the island on a jetski.
IN for vehicles that are small and enclosed: We use IN when we talk about
enclosed vehicles that are small and limited, and you are constrained that you
cannot get up and move around. These vehicles are usually for private
transportation like car and taxi.

I am in my car.

I went to the school in a taxi.

ON for vehicles that are big and enclosed: We use ON when we talk about
enclosed vehicles that are big enough for you to get up and move around as
much as you like.
I was on the bus when the rain poured so hard.
I travelled to Recto on the train.
I went to Palawan on the boat.
The rules above look pretty simple -- We use IN if you are constrained and you
cannot freely get up and move around, and we use ON if it is the opposite or if you are
riding on something like a bicycle. These rules always hold true for IN-vehicles and for
the means of transport like bicycle, but the rules for big ON-vehicles change depending
on the momentum.

Exercise: Put in BY, IN, or ON.

1. Karen usually goes to work _____ bus.

2. I saw Jane this morning. She was _____ the bus.
3. How did you get here? Did you come _____ train?
4. How did you get here? Did you come _____ the train?
5. I decided not to go _____ car. I went _____ my bike instead.
6. I didn't feel like walking home, so I came home _____ a taxi.
7. How long does it take to cross the Atlantic _______ boat.
8. Sorry we're late. We missed the bus, so we had to come _____ foot.