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Mr. Tom Posted 16 years ago
Grammar

Dismiss vs let off

Hi

Would you say that both of the following sets of sentences are equally natural?

What time do you dismiss your tuition students?

What time do you let off your tuition students?

and

I was busy today, so I let my maid off a bit early.

I was busy today, so I dismissed my maid a bit early.

Thanks,

Tom
  

Top answer

dismiss sometimes takes the meaning of firing someone from a job, so it's not natural in the case of the maid -- not to my ear, anyway. If I dismiss the maid, she will never come back again, and I'll have to find a new maid. I favor let off in both cases, but I would also place off later in the first example, as you have done in the second.

— CalifJim

  • dismiss sometimes takes the meaning of firing someone from a job, so it's not natural in the case of the maid -- not to my ear, anyway.
  • If I dismiss the maid, she will never come back again, and I'll have to find a new maid.
  • I favor let off in both cases, but I would also place off later in the first example, as you have done in the second.
  • What time do you let your tuition students off?
  • I let my maid off a bit early.
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1 Answers
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dismiss sometimes takes the meaning of firing someone from a job, so it's not natural in the case of the maid -- not to my ear, anyway.

If I dismiss the maid, she will never come back again, and I'll have to find a new maid.

I favor let off in both cases, but I would also place off later in the first example, as you have done in the second.

What
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