I am convinced that knowledge of any language lies in the nuances: general rules are known and understandable to everyone, but not everyone is familiar with the subtleties. And I never tire of repeating that, unfortunately, textbooks (even the most modern ones) focus mainly on general rules, and miss many of the details of the language that you should know about.
There are many “little words” in English: prepositions, adverbs that we encounter everywhere, but we subconsciously ignore them and think little about their properties and meanings, seeing only the general. But these “small” elements can significantly change the meanings of not only the words with which they are combined, but also entire sentences.
But it can be very difficult to understand what they mean, even with the help of a dictionary, and then we begin to think and guess. You can’t figure it out without context, but sometimes it’s completely useless if you don’t understand the properties and meanings of “little words.”
But there is also good news.
On the ENGINFORM blog I regularly talk about how prepositions and adverbs are used in English, showing how to highlight general features and patterns, I give explanations and examples.
Today we will talk about the word off.
Off as a preposition and as an adverb is used after verbs, giving them other shades of meaning, is part of many phrasal verbs (some of which I will give in examples), and maybe a separate adjective. Let's talk about all this in order.
Think about it: how often have you come across the word off in English? In what contexts?
Remember: on electrical appliances they write ON/OFF, you've probably heard the combinations day off and to log off, there is even an insect repellent called Off.
How is it all connected?
The word off has a number of typical meanings, and in each of the above situations, off will be translated completely differently. Let's look at these meanings and draw parallels with Russian where possible.
The first common meaning of off is transfer, removal, removal from the surface. Off indicates that the objects are no longer touching each other:
Brush the dirt off the coat - brush the dirt off the coat
Wash off the stains - wash away stains
Knock something off - knock down something or someone
Take the books off the desk. - Remove the books from the table.
Off indicates a change in position, often a sideways, downward, or outward movement:
The cup slipped off my hands. - The cup slipped out of my hands.
I like traveling off the beaten track. - I like to travel away from the main road.
Get off the bus - get off the bus
Get off the plane - get out of the plane
I'm off. - I'm leaving.
I logged off my computer. - I logged out of my computer.
Off speaks of distance, removal, distance, and in this sense is often used with verbs of movement:
The light will frighten the burglars off. - The light will scare away robbers.
He walked off the room. - He left the room.
Stand off the fire. - Stay away from the fire.
The lovers ran off together. - The lovers ran away together.
She tried to keep off a subject. - She tried to avoid the topic.
Off is often the equivalent of our prefixes from- and time-, which, combined with various verbs, indicate separation, separation:
Divide off the room by a glass wall - divide the room with a glass wall
Fence off the garden - fence off the garden with a fence
Cut off the dry branches of a tree - cut off the dry branches of a tree
If we are talking about electrical appliances, then off speaks of disconnecting, turning off, stopping:
Switch off the radio, please. - Turn off the radio, please.
He turned off the TV. - He turned off the TV.
I was cut off electricity. - My electricity was turned off.
Another meaning of the word off is completion, termination, cancellation:
Did you read off the book? -Have you finished reading the book yet?
Drink off your tea. - Finish your tea.
The urgent call broke off the meeting. - An urgent call interrupted the meeting.
I used to like tennis but now I am off it. - I used to like tennis, but not now.
You should remain off smoking until you get better. - You need to refrain from smoking until you feel better.
And sometimes the word off appears in a sentence and it is completely unclear what its meaning is. For example: It is off or He is off. What does it mean?
The fact is that off is not only a preposition or adverb that is combined with verbs, but also, therefore, can be used with the verb to be. The meaning of off will be determined by the context. If you only have a sentence separate from the whole situation, you will never know what exactly was meant.
The meanings of the adjective off mostly carry negative connotations. Let's look at some of them:
About states: poor quality, worse than usual; something unsatisfactory:
I had an off day. - I had a bad day.
He felt off after the party. - He felt unwell after the party.
About food: missing, stale, poor quality:
This milk is a bit off. - The milk has spoiled a little.
The food has gone off. - The food is gone.
About the time: non-working, day off:
A day off - day off
I will take a Monday off. - I'll take a day off on Monday.
The off season - dead, non-tourist season
About objects and devices: inoperative:
My computer is off. - My computer is turned off.
The TV is off. - The TV is turned off.
Many combinations with off cannot be found in the dictionary. When meeting them, use your knowledge and logic and determine what off expresses in this context: separation, removal, or maybe a change in position?
Be careful, watch the little words and move forward to improve your English every day.
In // 1 Comment
One of the fascinating - and sometimes challenging - aspects in English is how the same words can have several different meanings. We will look at the use of two prepositions - “ on" And " off” - in different meanings.
ON
First let's look at using " on”.
Google shortcode
I will see you on
Tuesday - see you on Tuesday
In this sentence, the preposition “on” is used to indicate the exact day on which something will happen.
The party is still on
! - the party is still going on
And in this sentence, “on” means that something will happen and continue according to plan.
The ball was on
target for the goal! – accurately hit the ball into the goal!
Here the word “on” means “right or necessary direction.”
Are you still on
for the match tomorrow? – Have you changed your mind about going to tomorrow’s match?
In this sentence, “on” is used to mean “you are still interested in doing something or going somewhere.”
I left the light on
! – I left the light on
In this sentence, “on” means that some electrical device, such as a TV, radio or lighting, is turned on.
OFF
Now let's look at the word " off" Here are some examples of its use.
I'm off
work next Monday – I don’t work next Monday
The word “off” means “there is no need to do something”
I'm off
on my holiday soon! – I’m going on vacation soon!
And here “off” simply means “to leave.”
I’m off my food at the moment - now I shouldn’t eat
In this case, “off” means “not being able to do something,” or “need to avoid something.”
“Pooh! This milk is off!” - ugh! This milk has gone sour!
In this case, the word “off” simply means “inedible.” This cannot be eaten or drunk. This food is rotten, rotten, sour.
Please turn off the light! – please turn off the light!
In this sentence, the word “off” means “to disconnect,” or to turn off the power supply to an appliance, or to turn off a light bulb.
Like this, looking closely at in simple words, you can find out how they can change the meaning of a sentence and be used in a variety of cases.
off free (about time, hours); an off day a day off, a free day off distant, more remote; an off road off secondary; an off street lane; that is an off issue to be badly off; to be comfortably off making good money; to be well supplied off indicates termination, interruption, end of action, cancellation, cancellation: to break off negotiations to cut off supplies to stop supplying; the strike is off the concert is off the concert is canceled the cover is off the cover is removed; the gilt is off the gilding has come off; trans. disappointment set in to cut off supplies; the strike is off the concert is off the concert is canceled off indicates absence, impossibility of obtaining: the dish is off this dish is no longer there (although it is listed on the menu) they pushed me off my seat they pushed me out of my place; to fall off a ladder (tree, horse) to polish off; to finish off stale; the fish is a bit off the fish is not quite fresh off indicates the distance: a long way off far; five miles off; five miles the cover is off; the gilt is off the gilding has come off; trans. disappointment set in. off indicates taking off an item of clothing: take off your coat! take off your coat!; hats off! Hats off! off prep indicates: non-participation (in smth.): he is off gambling he does not gamble; off the cuff without preparation off one's food without appetite; he is off smoking he quit smoking off not quite healthy; I am feeling rather off today I don't feel well today off indicates removal, separation: I must be off I must leave ; off you go!, be off!, get off!, off with you! get out!; go away! off colloquial. free time ; in one "s off at leisure off indicates the distance: a long way off far; five miles off for five miles; five miles off prep indicates the distance from; a mile off the road at a distance of a mile from the road to keep off to keep in aloof; keep aloof; my hat is off off prep indicates: non-participation (in smth.): he is off gambling he does not gamble; off the cuff without preparation off indicates: turning off, disconnection of (something) apparatus or mechanism: to switch off the light off minor; an off street lane; that is an off issue this is a minor issue off Thursday off off distant, more distant; an off road distant road off indicates the completion of the action: to pay off to pay (to the end); to drink off to drink (to the bottom) off indicates deliverance: to throw off reserve to become bolder, to become brave off unlikely; on the off chance colloquial just in case off sports. located , located to the left of the bowler (about part of the cricket field) off is not entirely healthy; I am feeling rather off today the fish is a bit off the fish is not quite fresh off the bad harvest (about the year); dead (of the season) off low-grade; off grade of low quality off prep indicates a deviation from the norm, the usual state: off one "s balance lost balance (also translated) off indicates absence, impossibility of obtaining: the dish is off this dish no longer exists (although it is listed on the menu ) off right; the off hind leg the back right leg; the off side right side; the sea side of the ship facing the open sea off unwinding to stop (negotiations, etc.); to go backwards off indicates termination, break, end of action, cancellation, cancellation: to break off negotiations interrupt negotiations off int away!, out! off indicates the distance: a long way off far; five miles off for five miles; five miles off prep indicates the distance from; a mile off the road at a distance of a mile from the road off casual free time; in one's off at leisure off free (about time, hours); an off day a day off, a free day off indicates freedom from work: to take time off to take a break from work off indicates the removal of an item of clothing: take off your coat! take off your coat!; hats off! Hats off! off removed, separated; the wheel is off the wheel has been removed, jumped off indicates removal, separation: I must be off I must leave; off you go!, be off!, get off!, off with you! get out!; go away! off prep indicates removal from surface c; take you hands off the table off sport. the part of the field located to the left of the bowler (in cricket) off low grade; off grade low quality off right; the off hind leg the off side right side; mor. side of the ship facing the open sea off to off it coll. leave, run away off prep indicates a deviation from the norm, the usual state: off one's balance lost balance (also translated) off one's food without appetite; he is off smoking he quit smoking off right; the off hind leg the off side right side; mor. side of the ship facing the open sea off side sport. (position) out of play off the beaten track away from the main road; trans. in little-known areas; off the coast off prep indicates: non-participation (in something): he is off gambling he does not gamble; off the cuff without preparation off the mark past the target (about the shot) off the mark irrelevant off the point far from the target off the point irrelevant point: to carry one "s off defend your positions; achieve your goal; to gain one's point to achieve the goal; off the point inappropriately off indicates removal, separation: I must be off I must leave; off you go!, be off!, get off!, off with you! get out!; go away! off indicates removal, separation: I must be off I must leave; off you go!, be off!, get off!, off with you! get out!; go away! off unlikely; on the off chance decom. just in case, off indicates completion of the action: to pay off to pay (to the end); to drink off to drink (to the bottom) pay: off off to pay off a debt off off to pay off off to repay, to take revenge off off to pay off off to pay in full; settle accounts (with someone); cover (debt); pay off; to pay off handsomely dismiss (workers) off off pay off off off write off the crew from the ship off off dismiss off off sea. evade, fall into the wind to polish off; to finish off finish polish: off off colloquial. get rid of (from a competitor, etc.) off off coll. finish, quickly deal with (smth.); to polish off a bottle of sherry the radio was off the whole day they are off they went; to run off run away run: off off not to make an impression; the scoldings run off him like water off a duck's back they scold him, but he's like water off a duck's back off off distract from the subject (conversation) off off strain; flush (water) off off decide the outcome of the race off off write poetry; smartly recite off off to run away; run away (with - s) the street off the Strand to cut off supplies stop supplying; the strike is off the strike is over; the concert is off the concert is canceled off indicates to: switching off, disconnecting (some. ) apparatus or mechanism: to switch off the light off indicates the removal of an item of clothing: take off your coat! take off your coat!; hats off! Hats off! off indicates freedom from work: to take time off to take a break from work off prep indicates removal from the surface; take you hands off the table off minor; an off street lane; that is an off issue they are off they went; to run off they pushed me off my seat; to fall off a ladder (tree, horse) to fall from a ladder (tree, horse) off indicates deliverance: to throw off reserve to become bolder, to become brave trade off to sell, to exchange trade: off off to change one indicator at the expense of another off off to exchange; trade(up)on to benefit, to use for personal purposes off off to exchange off off to sacrifice off off to sell off removed, separated; the wheel is off