Meaning & use
a means of transportation
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Meaning
phrasefixed phrase
A way of carrying people or goods from one place to another, such as a car, bus, train, or plane.
Grammar: Countable as a whole phrase: a means of transportation, two means of transportation. The word 'means' does not change in the plural.
Patterns
- a means of transportation
- means of transportation
In many cities, the subway is the fastest means of transportation.
Bicycles are a cheap and clean means of transportation.
The island has few means of transportation, so most people walk.
Common combinations
- a common means of transportation
- Buses are a common means of transportation in rural areas.
- a means of transport
- In British English, people often say 'a means of transport'.
- public means of transportation
- The city is improving public means of transportation.
Synonyms and how they differ
- mode of transport
- Mode of transport is more formal and often used in official or technical writing.
- vehicle
- Vehicle refers to the actual thing, like a car or bus, while a means of transportation is the general way or method of traveling.
Commonly confused: a means of transportation or transportation?
a means of transportation vs transportation
Transportation alone means the system or business of moving people or goods; 'a means of transportation' refers to one specific way of doing it.
Practice
Which sentence uses the phrase correctly?
Choose one answer.
The fixed phrase is 'a means of transportation'. 'Mean' is wrong because the noun is always 'means', and 'transportations' is not used in this phrase.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “a means of transportation”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.