How would you say it by using "excuse" instead?
I know pretext is more formal, and excuse is commonly used in colloquial English. Could you help me with these two sentences below to make it sound natural in daily life.
He left immediately on the pretext that he had a train to catch.
She couldn't find a pretext to visit Derek at home.
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Answers · 6
1
I would say that the first sentence sounds better than the second sentence. The word "pretext" does not sound natural here. That would be an example where "excuse" should be used instead. If you want to use "excuse," I would rewrite the sentences as followed...
He left immediately with the excuse of having to catch a train.
She couldn't find an excuse to visit Derek at home.
1
Both sentences are fine but the second one doesn't sound as natural. In the second sentence, I would replace "a pretext" with "an excuse". But, you can use it as you've written above. Hope that helps!
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