Many people do not see the difference in which verb to use in a particular context - “dress” or “put on”. Many even believe that any rules, explanations and clarifications are not needed at all. In their opinion, “putting on a hat” or “putting on a hat” sounds different, but the result will still be the same.
Ushakov's dictionary on the verbs “dress” and “put on”
Ushakov’s Explanatory Dictionary provides the following explanations for the verb “dress”:
- To dress is to put someone or something in some kind of clothing. For example: "Dress artists in fancy dress."
- To dress means to cover or wrap something for warmth. For example, dress a horse blanket, dress a sick person with a blanket.
- In the figurative meaning of "dress" - this means to envelop, cover, envelop. For example, figurative expressions-metaphors: “Winter dressed the whole earth with snow” or “Trees dressed the meadow with lace shadows”.
- To dress in the broad sense of the word means to equip someone with clothes, to help in the acquisition of all kinds of clothes. For example: "So she tried to dress her family that worked tirelessly."
On the verb "put on" Ushakov writes:
- To put on - to pull, cover, pull on clothes, part of clothes or a blanket, blanket, fabric in order to hide from the cold, rain or wind, or to hide, hide nakedness. Examples: “Once it started to rain - don’t forget to put on a hood!”, “A smart girl put on a net - and became not naked and not in clothes!”
- To put on - to put something on something. “Petrovich put a duck on a spit - and on a bonfire, let her dress up better!”
The figurative meaning of the verb "put on"
Some linguists argue that the word "put on" is not so ambiguous as his paronym is "put on." Like, it defines only specific actions, and in a figurative sense it is impossible to use it.
However, this is not entirely true. The verb “put on” can serve as part of a metaphor expression when animate inanimate nature or transfer of human actions to it occurs.
Examples include the following sentences: “The birches put on their earrings, as if they were girls for marriage” or “I put on a sheepskin coat from snow, an oak, like an old grandfather, stands to himself, creaks”.
Turn to Rosenthal
At school, teachers explain the use of “dressing” and “putting on”, based on the following explanations of Rosenthal: dress someone (or something, for example, a doll, a corpse, a scarecrow) in something or something, and put on something then on someone.
That is, you can dress or dress your son in a jacket, the bride in a wedding outfit, hand with a glove. But you can put something on someone or something: a jacket on his son, a wedding dress on the bride, a glove on his hand. Even a clue is given: "Grandfather is dressed, a sheepskin coat is worn."
Antonyms to help us!
Some people, faced with the dilemma of how to say “put on” or “put on a coat”, have come up with a simple way to choose the right option. It turns out that you can use the antonyms of these words.
A word with the opposite meaning of the verb “put on” will be the action “undress”, and the opposite of the verb “put on” is considered to be “take off”. Since the phrase “strip coat” is meaningless, it’s naturally impossible to wear a coat.
In the same way, you can make the right choice between two expressions: “put on glasses” or “put on glasses”. Can I strip the glasses? Of course not! Therefore, the second option should be considered correct - put on glasses.
It is this explanation that most modern people are content with, considering it the most easy and correct.
Semantic confusion
In fact, the use of the verbs “dress” or “put on” more often than not introduces confusion into the understanding. Although such an opportunity exists if, for example, the conversation is about a parsley doll, which, like a glove, is put on the hand.
The proposal to put on a parsley doll will mean that the doll should be dressed in new clothes: change the hat, throw a wrap or tie a scarf. But the request to put on the doll already means that you need to pull the parsley on your hand and get ready for the performance. So in this situation, the use of the verbs “dress” or “put on” radically changes the meaning of what was said.
This can also happen when it comes to the words "scarecrow" or "scarecrow", because they can also be put on something, or put on a pole or pillar.
Humor in the Russian language lessons
As you know, adolescents in all ages were nihilistic. Most enthusiastically accept with hostility all generally accepted rules. And, of course, they are trying to prove that the words “put on” and “put on” are almost the same, so there is no point in figuring out which one should be used in a particular case.
In the lessons, the teacher has to be an artist, a storyteller, be able to masterfully conduct a discussion, select compelling evidence, and logically prove the need for knowledge of the rules of the Russian language. And he also needs to be ... a comedian.
Indeed, humor is probably the most powerful weapon against ignorance. And even if the situation told by the teacher is not very believable, but its imagery will leave a “notch” in the minds forever. Thanks to the funny “picture” created by the fantasy of a wise teacher, students will understand that there is a huge difference between the verbs “dress” and “put on”.
Dressed chicken
The confusion in the use of these two verbs occurs because both verbs are cognate. However, the verb “put on” has more meanings. Along with the process of putting on garments, it can still carry the meaning of “planting”, for example, on a skewer or spike. The story, which will make the children laugh and remain in their memory, is precisely based on this polysemy of the verb “put on”.
At one of the student picnics in the company was a young man who understood everything literally. His name was Hernando, he was a Mexican. The guys decided to cook chicken on a skewer.
When the fire in the bonfire glowed merrily, the person responsible for preparing the food said to Hernando: “Dress the chicken - this is the skewer!” The guy to whom the request was addressed nodded and walked away from the fire to the table where the raw foods lay.
He was absent for quite some time. But when he returned with a chicken in his hands, a friendly laugh just blew up the neighborhood! A chicken was wearing a leather cap, a skirt with straps decorated her waist - a sort of sundress made from a chiffon scarf of one of the flirty students, and the stumps of her legs were stuffed into someone's sneakers.
The one who gave Hernando the order to “dress the chicken” was most outraged, because it was his cap and his sneakers that were spoiled by a stupid Mexican. But he calmly replied that he fulfilled the request absolutely precisely: to put on a chicken means to dress it in some kind of outfit. He knows the Russian language!
Of course, at first the order seemed a little strange to him. But he reasoned like this: being familiar with some Russian customs, the young man did not get tired of being surprised at them. For example, in Christmas carols people dress up in the skins of different animals, for the New Year they dress up a Christmas tree. Maybe there is still some custom when you need to dress up a chicken before frying it?
An ironic illustration of the rules helps better memorization.
By the way, after such a funny story, the teacher can present the children with pictures with captions: one drawing that depicts an “elegant” chicken, and under it the phrase: “Dress chicken in clothes”, and the second drawing with a carcass on a skew, under which it says: “ Put the chicken on the skewer. "
After such a humorous and visual impact, the guys will never mix up what to say: “put on” or “put on”. Dress on a chicken, a cap and sneakers - this picture will be remembered for sure!
When do we say “dressed”?
So the time has come to deal with definitions derived from verbs. It should be remembered that the verb “dress” is used only in relation to animate objects or inanimate objects, but having signs of a person (corpse, doll, stuffed animal, mannequin). As mentioned above, sometimes this verb appears in metaphors with animated objects of inanimate nature - they are attributed to the abilities of living beings.
Consequently, the word “dressed” can also serve as a definition only of a living creature or animated by human imagination. A dressed man, a lady dressed, at home, dressed in snow caps, are examples of the use of the word "dressed."
Although in fairy tales the heroes (objects that came to life inanimate in ordinary life) can be dressed: this is a table, a bed, and other things.
“A table dressed in a festive tablecloth gazed proudly at its neighbors” or “A photograph of her father, dressed in an elegant frame, dusting in the closet until now, was extremely happy from these changes in her fate.”
“Wearing a glove”, “a wearing glove” - how to do it right?
In relation to inanimate objects, the definition of “donned” should be used. That is, a suit cannot be dressed, but only worn. The same applies to the words “glasses”, “skirt”, “coat”, “hat” and others, indicating the objects that they put on.
An example of a glove can be used in the classroom, explaining the semantic difference between the definitions of “dressed” and “worn”. For better memorization, you can provide students with pictures with captions. And one of them will be reliable - with the signature “put on a glove”. But the picture, signed with the phrase “wearing a glove” will be humorous in nature - there, on a glove, or rather, on one of her fingers, a hat is put on and a scarf is tied.
The phrase “dressed glove” can exist only in a fairy tale or a fantastic story, where an accessory comes to life, can dress up, talk, think. For example, some ladies wear rings over gloves. And such a fantastic storyline allows the use of this phrase: the hostess put a ring on top of one glove, but not on the other. And the "dressed glove", with a gold belt decorated with a diamond, taunts his sister, who is "forced to go out naked." This story may end with the fact that the mistress loses one glove - the one that was "naked". The "rich glove" rejoices - now she will no longer tolerate this boring beggar next to her! However, misfortune awaits her: the mistress, having discovered the loss and having burnt, throws a silly zadak in the trash.