Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[www0935]

Please help me with this question. Thanks.

In this sentence, "Who is that foreigner wearing a yellow hat?" can I put it this way, "Who is that foreigner with a yellow hat?" or "Who is that foreigner in a yellow hat?" Is there any difference between these two expressions ("with a yellow hat" and "in a yellow hat")?

[pugachevV]

You can certainly say, "Who is that foreigner in a yellow hat?". It means the same thing as your original sentence. However, "...that foreigner with a yellow hat does not mean quite the same thing. It may mean he is wearing the hat, but it could also mean he is carrying it. As you can see, the meaning is not quite so precise as in your original sentence.