Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[Junkomama]

Can sentence2 and 3 have the same meaning as 1?

1.She is devoted to housework.
2.She is engaged in housework.
3.She is occupied with housework.

Thank you in advance!
Junkomama

[CP]

Not quite the same.

1.She is devoted to housework.
This means she is passionate about housework, she is firmly fixed on it, it is very important to her. It doesn't necessarily mean she does it herself, though. She could be a duchess who spends all her free time making sure all her staff do housework nonstop -- although, of course, most people who are devoted to something not only like it a lot, but do it a lot.

2.She is engaged in housework.
That means she is doing housework now, is working on chasing the dust around and washing dishes and clothes and floors and walls and -- I'm getting tired.

3.She is occupied with housework.
This can mean that she is thinking about it very intently, or is using her time doing housework, and is more akin to being engaged in housework.
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You live a new life for every new language you speak. -Czech proverb

[Junkomama]

Hello, CP-san.
Thank you so much for your lucid explanation!

Regards,
Junkomama