for hours I've been scouring the internet for some sentences/grammar rules which bother me. Unfortunately, I couldn't find the answer, and that's why I decided to ask here.
- Are sentences 1) and 2) correct? If not then why? Is sentence nr 5)
the best way (and the most natural way for a native speaker) to
express the idea?
" to go by a train
-
1) The train by which I went was delayed
-
2) the train by
which I travelled was delayed - 3) The train which I went by was
delayed - 4) The train which I travelled by was delayed
- 5) The
train I travelled/was on was delayed"
Best regards
shows that except as being was used quite frequently in the 1800's and was overtaken by "except for being" around the turn of the century.
Best Answer
"to go by a train" I think the first problem is that we don't say "to go by a train" - the expression is "to go by train" (to go by car, bus, road, plane).
I personally would never use "travelled by the/a train" in this context either - I travelled by the train (that left at 10:00/that was delayed) sounds strange, though is perhaps ok (see comment below) - I (again personally) would be more likely to say I travelled with, or I was on, or I took.
Google, however, produces lots of examples of "the train by which" so I guess "the train by which I was travelling/travelled was delayed" - is also correct
Alternatives:
I went by a train means I walked past a train to my (Irish) ears...
Edit: "the train by which I travelled" gets just over 5000 hits; "the train by which I was travelling" only six! ("traveled": 3350; "was traveling": one) - so actually not so common after all - made a mistake when I said "lots of examples" above.