MHT GND CTLR ADVISES C152 TRAINING FLT THAT THEY CROSSED AN ACTIVE RWY WITHOUT CLRNC. PLT QUESTIONS GND CTLR'S CLRNC PHRASEOLOGY OF BEING 'IMPLIED.'

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SIMPLY NOT BEING TOLD TO HOLD SHORT OF THE ACTIVE RWY WHICH WE WERE TAXIING TO. WE (ACFT X) HAD TO CROSS AT A RWY/TXWY INTXN AND THEN CONTINUE DOWN ANOTHER TXWY TO THE END OF THE ACTIVE RWY. WE RECEIVED THESE INSTRUCTIONS; 'TAXI TO RWY 17; INTXN B.' WE THOUGHT 'TAXI TO RWY 17; VIA INTXN B.' WE DID EXACTLY THAT. NOWHERE IN THE TAXI CLRNC DID WE RECEIVE A 'HOLD SHORT RWY 17' INSTRUCTION. THAT WOULD'VE PREVENTED THE ENTIRE SIT. LATER; WE WERE TOLD IT WAS IMPLIED TO HOLD SHORT AT THE INTXN FOR AN INTXN DEP. INSTEAD OF IMPLICATION; WHY NOT JUST GIVE A SIMPLE INSTRUCTION? GND CTL BROUGHT THE INCURSION TO OUR ATTN. WE KNEW IT WAS AN ACTIVE RWY; EITHER WAY AS STANDARD PRACTICE; I POINTED OUT TO MY STUDENT; THAT IS WHY YOU LOOK BOTH WAYS BEFORE TAXIING ONTO OR XING A RWY WHICH WE DID. WE HAD PLENTY OF TIME TO CROSS AND DID WITHOUT ANY URGENCY. THE APCHING ACFT CONTINUED THE APCH AND LANDED WITHOUT MISHAP. WE; BY THEN; WERE TAXIING DOWN A PARALLEL TXWY TO THE END OF THE ACTIVE. NO EVASIVE ACTION TAKEN ON EITHER SIDES -- ME; ATC; OR THE ACFT ON FINAL. I APOLOGIZED FOR ANY UNNEEDED EXCITEMENT AND SOMETHING WAS LEARNED ON BOTH SIDES -- PLT AND ATC.