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Trying it on for size

Posted by ESC on August 24, 2001

In Reply to: Try these on posted by Gary Martin on August 24, 2001

: : Hi!

: : Thaks for your answers last time.

: : I think 'on' is necessary in the first sentence while optional in the second one.

: : Try the dress on.
: : I'd like try these (on).

: : Is there any reason for that?

: :
: : Tom

: Tom,

: I'd say that 'Try the dress' would be okay without the on too, although adding it makes the meaning clearer. With 'I'd like to try these' the likely context would be when speaking to an shop assistant when asking to try on clothes. In that circumstance the on could be considered superfluous.

: In the UK I think people would be more likely to use 'I'd like to try these on': the shorter form would sound a little Americanised to many folk here.

: Gary

Thinking back to the time when I bought a new dress...I would say, "I'd like to try these on." And I'm American.

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