"off" is not a verb
29/10/2013 09:44
off is used as a preposition, adverb or adjective. Examples are:
| — prep | |
| 1. | used to indicate actions in which contact is absent or rendered absent, as between an object and asurface: to lift a cup off the table |
| 2. | used to indicate the removal of something that is or has been appended to or in association withsomething else: to take the tax off potatoes |
| 3. | out of alignment with: we are off course |
| - adv | |
| 1. | ( particle ) so as to be deactivated or disengaged: turn off the radio |
| 2. | ( particle ) |
| a. so as to get rid of: sleep off a hangover | |
| b. so as to be removed from, esp as a reduction: he took ten per cent off | |
| 3. | spent away from work or other duties: take the afternoon off |
| 4. | a. on a trip, journey, or race: I saw her off at the station |
| b. ( particle ) so as to be completely absent, used up, or exhausted: this stuff kills off all vermin | |
| 5. | out from the shore or land: the ship stood off |
| 6. | a. out of contact; at a distance: the ship was 10 miles off |
| b. out of the present location: the girl ran off | |
| 7. | away in the future: August is less than a week off |
| - adj | |
| 1. | not on; no longer operative: the off position on the dial |
| 2. | ( postpositive ) not or no longer taking place; cancelled or postponed: the meeting is off |
| 3. | in a specified condition regarding money, provisions, etc: well off ; how are you off for bread? |
| 4. | unsatisfactory or disappointing: his performance was rather off ; an off year for good tennis |
Courtesy: D
Off is never a verb. So, it is very wrong to utter expressions like:
Off the phone
Off your shoes
Off the TV.
When you say expressions like the above, you use off as a verb, which ought not to be so.
Rather, introduce verb phrases by adding verbs such as 'turn', 'switch' or 'put' to "off".
E.g Switch off the phone; Turn off your shoes; Put off the TV. In the continous tense, we have expressions like I am switching off the phone (NOT I am offing the phone); you are turning off the TV.
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