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Expression: "While she was changing back..."



 
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calmer or more calm | help me with this essay: about what happens in a day
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Expression: "While she was changing back..." #1 (permalink) Sun Jan 13, 2008 17:20 pm   Expression: "While she was changing back..."
 

Hi

Could you please tell me what we do when we come back from a party or some important meeting--I mean, do we:

Quote:
change back into a casual dress/ suit
or
Quote:
change back into a home dress/ suit
?

Quote:
She was changing back into a casual dress, when she heard the apartment door open and close.


Thanks

Tom
Tom
I'm a Communicator ;-)


Joined: 30 May 2006
Posts: 2061

Expression: "While she was changing back..." #2 (permalink) Sun Jan 13, 2008 19:36 pm   Expression: "While she was changing back..."
 

Hi Tom

This may be a bit culturally influenced, but I generally would never say that someone 'changed into a casual dress or suit'. In the US, if you say that someone put on a dress or suit, it is generally not understood to be casual wear. Of course, some suits and dresses are more casual than others, but I'd say you'd need to be more specific about precisely what sort of casual dress or suit you're referring to. Otherwise, be less specific and simply say they changed into 'casual clothing'.

The word 'back' usually isn't necessary. I'd probably only use 'back' if the casual clothing was exactly the same clothing that the person had been wearing only a short time before.

Quote:
change back into a home dress/ suit
The expression "home dress" is not used in AmE. There is the word "housedress", but this is an old-fashioned word. To me, this word sounds like something used prior to the 1950s. I really don't know anyone who cleans their house wearing a housedress anymore. Shocked And I've never heard of anything called a "house suit".

To be casual and comfortable at home, many Americans just change into their jeans or sweats. Wink
Yankee
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Joined: 16 Apr 2006
Posts: 8265
Location: USA

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Expression: "While she was changing back..." #3 (permalink) Mon Jan 14, 2008 5:56 am   Expression: "While she was changing back..."
 

Many thanks, Amy.

So how do you find this one? Does it sound natural now?

Quote:
She was changing into casual clothing when she heard the apartment door open and close.


Tom
Tom
I'm a Communicator ;-)


Joined: 30 May 2006
Posts: 2061

Expression: "While she was changing back..." #4 (permalink) Mon Jan 14, 2008 6:49 am   Expression: "While she was changing back..."
 

Hi Tom

That's OK. I guess I'd like "casual clothes" better. And you could also say "She was changing into something more casual/comfortable when..." In fact, you could also just say "She was changing when ..."
.
Yankee
I'm a Communicator ;-)


Joined: 16 Apr 2006
Posts: 8265
Location: USA

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