Common Particles in Phrasal Verbs: OFF

Off has various meanings when it is used as a particle* in a phrasal verb. While some of these meanings are literal, many are figurative. Here we will look at a few of these meanings and some examples.

Meaning 1
go away, leave a place or position

• lift off: We watched as the giant rocket lifted off.
• take off: Ed took three days off of work this week.
• veer off: After the small car hit the pothole, it veered off the road and into the ditch.
• make off: My ex-husband made off with all of the money in my bank acocunt.
• run off: Jackie ran off with her high school sweetheart, leaving her family behind.

Meaning 2
remove or get rid of something

• cut off: Michelle cut off the tags on her clothes before she wore them.
• work off: Iris gained five pounds on vacation. Now, she is working that extra weight off at the gym.
• take off: If it is too hot, feel free to take off your jacket.
• fall off: The pictures fell off the wall in the quake.
• cross off: I've already crossed several items off of my to-do list.

Meaning 3
start happening or start doing something

• kick off: The game kicked off a few minutes late.
• get off: We got off to a bad start, but now we are becoming better friends.
• spark off: The mayor's decision sparked off rioting in the poorer parts of town.

Meaning 4
finish or complete something

• carry off: I don't know if she'll be able to carry off the baby shower. It is in one week and she hasn't even sent out invitations yet!
• log off: Did you log off the computer before you left? If not, someone else could use your account.
• finish off: John finished off all the food in the refrigerator - and he's still hungry!
• round off: We're going to round off the trip with a visit to the Panecillo and a light lunch at Pim's.
• turn off: Please turn off the TV when you are finished.

Meaning 5
separate something from someone or something else, in order to keep it private, stop people entering it, etc.

• block off: The police blocked off the area while they were searching for the suspect.
• close off: The road was closed off because of the flooding.
• fend off: She carries a fly swatter to fend off mosquitoes and bees.
• fight off: I'm fighting off a cold.
• scare off: Jenny scares off all her boyfriends by talking about marriage and babies on the first date.
• laugh off: Clay just laughed off his mistake, but his boss didn't think it was funny.
• brush off: She's an expert at brushing off criticim. It doens't seem to bother her at all.

Meaning 6
get out of a bus, train, plane, etc. or let someone do this

• let off: You can let me off at the next corner.
• get off: When you get off the bus, check to make sure that you are at the right stop.
• drop off: You can drop off the books after 10 am. Alana will be expecting you.

*A particle is the second part of a phrasal verb (sometimes called a two-part verb) and is either a preposition (with, from) or an adverb (away, out).

Adapted from: Macmillan Phrasal Verbs Plus Dictionary.

More about Phrasal Verbs

• Understanding phrasal verbs provides a key to a large amount of other English vocabulary
• Contrary to popular belief, many other languages also have vocabuary that is very similar to English phrasal verbs.
• Phrasal verbs , and the nouns and adjectives derived from them, are generally thought of as part of the Germanic component of English vocabulary, but inf fact we find very similar combinations in vocabulary that is derived from Latin and French too. In this case the order is particle + verb, and the spelling is always a single word.
• It is often said that, in formal contexts, single-word equivalents are more appropriate than phrasal verbs. this advice may sometimes be useful but it is an oversimplification, and if it is followed too closely, it can sometimes lead to unnatural or over-formal language.

Excerpts from Macmillan's Phrasal Verbs Plus Dictionary.

That said, see if you can think of the single-word equivalent of these common phrasal verbs: (Answers at the bottom of this post.)

1. leave out
2. go back
3. look for
4. put on
5. call off
6. bring up
7. put up with
8. give up
9. decide on
10. get out

Which of these phrasal verbs are probably a better choice than their single-word counterpart? Why?

Answers:

1. omit
2. return
3. search
4. don
5. cancel
6. raise
7. tolerate
8. quit
9. choose
10. leave

Phrasal verbs: Spelling

Once you learn phrasal verbs, you learn other English words as well. Many nouns and adjectives are formed from phrasal verbs. For example, hand out means to give things to different people in a group, while the corresponding noun handout refers to the piece of paper with information on it that is given to this group of people (generally students in a classroom). Or, look at the phrasal verb speak out (to state your opinion firmly and publicly about something), and notice its relationship with the adjective outspoken (expressing strong opinions very directly without worrying if other people are offended).

What are the spelling rules for these kind of verbs? Unfortunately, there are no clear or set spelling rules. Sometimes they are two words, sometimes hyphenated (-), sometimes combined as one word. Here are some guidelines that you can follow:

• verb + particle (phrasal verb) = two words: make up, look over
• particle + verb (verb) = one word: download, overlook
• verb + particle (nouns) = one word or hyphenated: make-up/makeup, carryout/carry-out
• particle + verb (nouns) = one word: input, downloading
• verb + particle (adjectives) = hyphenated: jazzed-up, made-up
• particle + verb (adjectives) = hyphenated or one word: ongoing, off-putting

From Macmillan's Phrasal Verbs Plus Dictionary.

Fun with phrasal verbs

Most students cringe at the dreaded phrasal verb - a verb that, when combined with a specific preposition (called a particle), changes meaning. English is tricky this way - instead of having more words, words simply get put together to mean different things. Some verbs, like get and set, have 2-3 pages of combinations in the dictionary! Daunting, to say the least. But students shouldn't fret. With a little planning and 5-10 minutes a day, these verbs can be easily conquered!

• Invest in a Phrasal Verbs dictionary. Macmillan has a good one.
• Keep a phrasal verb notebook. Have a page for each letter of the alphabet. When you run across (there's a phrasal verb!) a phrasal verb, write it down. Occasionally go back to your notebook and make connections between the verbs.
• Read, read, read! The more you read, the more vocabulary you learn. This is not just advice - if you want to successfully learn the language, reading is essential. As you read, underline or mark off the phrasal verbs (or verbs you suspect are phrasal verbs). At the end of the chapter, go back and look up the verbs in your new dictionary. Record them in your notebook.
  
• Go through your notebook and choose a phrasal verb at random. Try using it during the course of your day, even if it is just in your head.