一、從所接賓語來看
dress 要接“人”作賓語(不接“衣”作賓語),而其余的則要接“衣”作賓語(而不接“人”作賓語).
She dressed the baby.她給嬰兒穿衣服.
She was wearing her mother’s coat.她穿她母親的大衣.
Put your coat on when you go out.出去時穿上外套.
She has a red jacket on.她穿著一件紅色的短上衣.
二、從表示動作與狀態(tài)來看
wear 和 have on 通常指穿著衣服的狀態(tài),put on 通常指穿衣的動作,而 dress 既可指動作也可以指狀態(tài).如：
She wore [had on] a new dress.她穿著一件新衣服.
Put on your clothes quickly.趕快穿上衣服.
She is dressing herself.她在穿衣服.
She always dresses in black.她總是穿黑衣服.
注：dress 還通常用于被動語態(tài).如：
The girl was poorly dressed.這女孩衣著寒酸.
He was dressed as a woman.他男扮女裝.
三、從所使用的時態(tài)和語態(tài)來看
wear 和 have on 雖然都可表示穿衣的狀態(tài),但 wear 可用于進行時態(tài)和被動語態(tài),而 have on 卻既不可用于進行時態(tài)也不可用于被動語態(tài).如：
He was wearing a new jacket.他當時穿著一件新夾克.
Such clothes are not often worn nowadays.現(xiàn)在那樣的衣服很少有人穿了.
四、其他用法上的區(qū)別
wear 除可表示穿衣外,還可表示戴表(花、紀念章等)以及留頭發(fā)或胡須等,而 dress,put on 一般不這樣用.如：
He seldom wears a watch.他很少戴表.
He wears his hair long.他留著長發(fā).
注：have on 有時也這樣用.如：
They all had dark glasses on.他們都戴著墨鏡.