Van (road vehicle)

From ArticleWorld

A van can be defined as a vehicle that is usually used for transporting people or goods. When talking about describing it we must realize that this depends on the manufacturer and the purpose of the car. Most vans are box shaped, built to make it easier to transport something or someone. Comparing it to a large auto mobile we can say that it has almost the same length and width. The real difference appears when talking about the hight (vans are usually higher of the ground and taller). Exceptions to the rule do appear and one may find small vans or extremely big vans. If you want to categorize these vehicles, the most used method of doing this is referring to them as one of the following three:

• mini vans
• midi vans
• full size vans

Uses of the Word Van

When mentioning the word “van” you have to know if you are using it properly or not, based on the type of English being spoken in the certain area you are in. For instance, in Great Britain, a passenger minivan will be called MPV (or people carrier) while the bigger vans used for transporting passengers will be referred to as minibuses. Older British will also use the word van to talk about a pick-up truck.

Travelling to the United States things will change. A trailer that is used to carry some goods will be considered a van. Also, if you might get a chance to see a railway car you should know that if it carries baggages it will be referred to as a van. The last thing to remember is that when an American says “van” you can also expect a minivan. This naming is slowly disappearing and only older people will usually say this. Also, keep in mind that in the USA, a pick-up truck is just that and not a van.