"put it back" and "replaced it"
mustafaporno
In the following, are "put it back" and "replaced it" interchangeable?
While he was in the bookstore, a book caught his eye. After scanning its table of contents, he **put it back/replaced it**.
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3 comments
applesawce3•
In some contexts, yes. But other times “put it back” means “put the object that was there before in that same place” whereas “replaced it” could mean “put a different (usually identical) object in the same place one object used to be”
cardinarium•
Yes, but at least in American English, “put it back” is significantly more idiomatic.
dontknowwhattomakeit•
“He replaced it” sounds like he put a different copy of the same book back. We generally use “replace” in this way. “Put it back” is a much better choice here because it sounds much more natural in this context and it’s clearer too.