cars bulged

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New2grammar

#517784 Fri, 23 May 08 11:26 AM

The one-day walkout hobbled long distance train traffic without causing the havoc seen in past strikes. On a Paris-Nice train Thursday, even first-class cars bulged with passengers, some cramming aisles and others sitting on luggage racks for the five-hour journey.

1 Can I replace cars with compartments without change of meaning?

2. Can I replace bulged with crowded?

Thanks!

New2grammar

Joined on Tue, Nov 21 2006

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optilang

#517785 Fri, 23 May 08 11:31 AM

First class carriages - this is the whole section of the first class available on the train. Compartments are sections within the train carriage - but it is possible to say that the first class compartments bulged.

If you want to replace bulged with crowded you would have to say - even first-class carriages/compartments were crowded with passengers. The idea of bulged here is that they were filled to capacity. It is possible for a space to be crowded without the space being completely full.