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I hired a native speaker to improve my essay but she didn't change this sentence at all. I've only heard "ride the subway". Is it correct to say "ride subway lines"?

Also, I learned that "ride the subway" is American English. What verb do British people use? Do they say "use the subway"?

If governments build more subway or tram lines to make it easier for people to get around riding them, more people will choose them rather than private cars as their major means of travel.

newbie forever
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I believe that Americans would often say 'I ride subway lines'.

I ride the A line several times a week and half of the seats are taken by people asleep in the mornings.

I ride subway lines to unfamiliar stops and stroll around.

British people would, in general, be less likely to say 'ride the subway'. This is for two reasons:

  1. As you say, the transitive use of 'ride' (ride the bus, subway, tram, etc) is mainly American. British people are much more likely to say 'use'.

  2. The noun 'subway' means different things to American and British people:

    American: an underground railway system in a large city

    British: a pedestrian (walking) tunnel usually under a road to allow people on foot to get to the other side without walking in the road.

    The only big city in the UK with an extensive underground railway system is London, and that is known as the 'London Underground'. It is also called 'the Tube' because some (not all) of the lines run in round tunnels that look like tubes. People might say 'I ride the Tube (or Underground) to work' and be understood, but they are more likely to say 'I use the Tube (or Underground) to get to work'.

While in London I use the "Tube" all the time.

I visit London frequently and, like most people, I use the Tube to get around so I'm familiar with a lot of the station

Mr Khan [Mayor of London] said: "When I use the tube, I can't run away from the fact that more were wearing face masks when it was the law"

The only exception to the above is Glasgow, which has one underground railway called 'the Glasgow Subway'.

A common generic term for urban railways, especially those with closely spaced stops and frequent trains is 'metro'.

Michael Harvey
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  • Also common (in Australia at least) are "I catch a train to work" and "I take a train to work". Riding a bus gives me a picture of sitting astride it!! – Peter Oct 02 '22 at 11:36
  • @Peter Nevertheless, 'riding' a mode of transport is very common in US speech. You may find 'takes' in American and British English: My baby takes the morning train He works from nine to five and then He takes another home again To find me waitin' for him Song called '9 to 5' by Sheena Easton – Michael Harvey Oct 02 '22 at 11:42
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    Britons might also say I travel by/go by Tube/Underground. – Kate Bunting Oct 02 '22 at 14:08
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    Americans would be much more likely to say "I take the subway to work" – barbecue Oct 02 '22 at 15:45
  • Make it plural and I assume that means you have to transfer (to one or more of the eight different colored train lines in Chicago), which totally sucks, because that means your commute is almost certainly over an hour. Chicagoans either drive, walk, bike, scoot, or take ("public transportation") the CTA (which means buses), the Metra (real trains), the El (commuter rail), or all of the above if their life totally sucks. I take the train to work. Which one? All of them. – Mazura Oct 02 '22 at 23:44