subway or the subway
surena
If I want to refer to subway (subway system in Toronto, underground
railroad), do I have to use "the"? Is "the" always necassary before
subway? Also which one is correct: "subway" or "Subway"?
Regards.
Glenn Knickerbocker
If you're talking about a particular line by name, that name is a proper
noun and should be capitalized--and, even though it's a proper noun, it
usually takes "the": the Sheppard Subway, the New York City Subway,
etc. If you're talking about a particular line or train but not by its
name, the common noun isn't capitalized and does need an article or
other determiner: The subway stops at Yonge Street; Baltimore also has
a subway; this subway smells. Leave out the article only if you're
talking about subways in general as a means of transit: You can get
there either by bus or by subway.
ŹR
Don Phillipson
news:f4788cb2-fe54-4b29...@t35g2000yqj.googlegroups.com...
> If I want to refer to subway (subway system in Toronto, underground
> railroad), do I have to use "the"? Is "the" always necassary before
> subway? Also which one is correct: "subway" or "Subway"?
1. Most English speakers talk about taking the subway, i.e. include
the definite article THE. This is logical since there is only one
subway (if any) in most towns.
2. Upper or lower case for the initial s is a matter of style (not grammar
or syntax.) We could if we wish insist that Subway indicated only the
sandwich store chain and subway the underground railway, but not
many readers would go to such lengths.
3. Correct usage in Toronto is very easy: you just refer to the TTC
(Toronto Transit Corporation) because this is a single network
combining buses, streetcars and underground trains (and there
were also trolley-buses when I lived in Toronto) between which
passengers can freely transfer.
--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)
Daniel James
> 3. Correct usage in Toronto is very easy: you just refer to the TTC
> (Toronto Transit Corporation) because this is a single network
> combining buses, streetcars and underground trains (and there
> were also trolley-buses when I lived in Toronto) between which
> passengers can freely transfer.
You do then run the risk that someone who doesn't know Toronto well
might not have a clue what you were talking about.
Does any part of the TTC network use the name "subway"? If so, how
would someone specify that they had travelled on the subway component
of the TTC rather than (say) by bus? (... and if not, how would you if
some part of it did?)
Here in London (UK) we have a system called TFL (Transport for London)
which runs the buses and the underground trains (and, I believe, the
new cycle rental scheme) ... but nobody would /ever/ talk about
travelling "by TFL" -- they would always specify either bus or tube (or
both) as the case might be. The cycles from the rental scheme are
usually referred to as "Boris bikes" (after the Mayor of London[1],
Boris Johnson, who has been an enthusiastic supporter of the scheme) or
as "Barclays Bikes" (after Barclays Bank, who sponsor the scheme and
get their name plastered all over it and everything to do with it).
[1] Not to be confused with the Lord Mayor or London, head of the
Corporation of the City of London; a post currently held by Alderman
Michael Bear.
Cheers,
Daniel.
mm
But what if one wants to make the point that he is traveling on an
underground train.
Of course this gives rise to two questions:
What do you call the subway, like the NY Subway, when it goes above
ground? I think it's always called the subway, no matter where you
get on or off and no matter where the train is, unless one is actually
describing the physical structure. "I take the subway from Rego Park.
In Queens it is usually an elevated train."
What do you call an elevated train system, like the Chicago El, when
it is below ground (most or by now maybe all lines inside the Loop)?
Same as above in reverse. "I got on the El at Randolph. It's below
ground there."
I think I'm accurate.
--
Posters should say where they live, and for which area
they are asking questions. I have lived in
Western Pa. 10 years
Indianapolis 7 years
Chicago 6 years
Brooklyn, NY 12 years
Baltimore 27 years
tinr.s...@gmail.com
> What do you call the subway, like the NY Subway, when it goes above
> ground? I think it's always called the subway, no matter where you
> get on or off and no matter where the train is, unless one is actually
> describing the physical structure. "I take the subway from Rego Park.
> In Queens it is usually an elevated train."
All of these systems have something in common: they are heavy rail rapid transit networks. This is the transportation planning term for any rail network that makes several intraurban stops at frequent (though unmarked) intervals at stations that--whether above or below ground--are grade separated from the streets they serve. In most cases, the fare is levied only once when one enters the system, regardless of their destination (a notable exception being the Washington Metro). The "heavy" in heavy rail refers not to the weight of the cars but to the amount of passengers they can accommodate (as opposed to light rail).
However, no one has the time of day or the interest in using "heavy rail rapid transit" in common parlance. And so, most often the terms "subway" or "metro" are used. These are proprietary eponyms, used to refer to these networks when not specifying the exact system or its brand (just like band aid is used for adhesive bandages). As mentioned earlier in this thread, you don't need to capitalize "subway" if you're referring to these systems generally.
PS In the specific case of the Chicago El, if you were to take the Red or Blue lines underground through the Loop district, signs in the stations would indicate "To State Street Subway." This is not meant to confuse, more just as a fun fact.