Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[dido4]

I can say Put the coat on.
Put on the coat.
Put it on.
I can't say Put on it.

Here is the question.

Put down these dictionaries.
Put these dictionaries down.
Put these done.

Can I say Put down these.
Why?

Thank you.

[pugachevV]

You would usually refer to "those" dictionaries if someone else was holding them.

We don't say, "put down those". Although if you were holding dictionaries and someone said it to you, you would know what he meant.
It's just a word order convention that we say "put those down". Many languages have such conventions.