van

Everyday

1. A van is a vehicle bigger than a car and smaller than a truck, used for carrying people or goods. tree →
2. A van with seats can carry a group, like a school team; a van with no back seats carries boxes, tools or furniture. tree →
3. «In the van» or «in the vanguard» can also mean at the front of a march or a change (rare). tree →

In the lessons

In school maths: a carrier with seats or a load; seats per van is a rate and the question asks how many vans are needed for a group. In everyday life: delivery vans bring parcels, an ice-cream van plays music in the street, a camper van is for holidays, a moving van carries furniture to a new home. Phrases: «a delivery van», «a camper van», «a moving van», «by van».

Examples

• Each van holds 8 people. tree →
• 3 vans carry 45 boxes. tree →
• How many vans are needed for 30 children? tree →
• The van drove 60 miles. tree →
• The delivery van brought our new fridge. tree →
• We heard the ice-cream van playing its tune. tree →
• Dad hired a moving van to take our beds to the new house. tree →
• The football team travelled to the match in two vans. tree →
• They placed straw round the coffin, and the van drove away. tree →

Note

Plural «vans». Countable: «a van». A van is not a car and not a truck — in between. Maths: seats per van is a rate; vans needed = people ÷ seats, rounded up, because a few leftover children still need one more van. Safety: never get into a stranger's van.