What's the Difference
between "Of"
and "Off"?
The short answer:
Of shows
connection.
Off shows
disconnection.
Some examples:
- "I'm the brother of Jeniffer," shows the connection between
Jeniffer and myself (we're brother and sister).
- "Jeniffer ran off," shows disconnection (she left).
- "A story of hats," shows connection (the story is about
hats).
- "My hat fell off," shows disconnection (my hat is no longer
on my head).
The full answer:
Of
Click Here for Step-by-Step Rules, Stories and Exercises to Practice All English Tenses
"Of" has many different meanings.
Here are the main ones:
Of (
preposition)
=
1) Belonging
to or relating to someone or something.
Examples:
- That's the house of Joe.
- Sarah is a good friend of Mary.
- They are colleagues of mine.
- He is the son of
Beth.
- We studied the works of William
Shakespeare.
- I'm the head of
the company.
- The color of
the wall is white.
- This is a major part of the
problem.
- What's the name of the
movie?
- She is the Queen of England.
- The victory of
England was unexpected.
- The love of
nature will never disappear.
- She has a fear of
the dark.
2) Used to show an
amount.
Examples:
- I need a pound of
oranges.
- He ate a handful of nuts.
- There are a lot of people.
- All of
us are happy to see you.
3) Used to
show numbers, dates and ages.
Examples:
- We have a girl of
five.
- He predicted an increase of 2.4% in
earnings.
- It was the 1st of
May 2001.
4)
Containing or consisting of.
Examples:
- Please give me a glass of water.
- He brought a box of goodies.
- We were stopped by a group of people.
- A pack of wolves cried in the forest.
- She wears a dress of silk and
a necklace of
gold.
4) Used to
show a reason.
Examples:
- He died of
a heart illness.
- We came of
our own desire.
- There were many changes as a result of the war.
5) About or
showing something or someone.
Examples:
- This is a story of love and
hate.
- She showed us a picture of her baby.
- Take a look at the sketch of the
house.
6) Used to
show which one.
Examples:
- The city of New York
(= The city called New York)
- The country of France
(= The country called France)
- The year of 1956
(= The year 1956)
- The problem of finding good workers
(= The problem that is finding workers)
7) Used to
show a characteristic.
Examples:
- He is a man of great power.
- Clara is a woman of great beauty.
- This is a matter of no importance.
8) Living
or coming from a certain place.
Examples:
- The people of
Spain are called Spaniards.
- She met with Philip of Spain.
- Who was Jesus of
Nazareth?
The word "off" has a completely different meanings...
Off
"Off" has many different meanings.
Here are the main ones:
Off (
adverb) =
1) Not
touching something or removed.
Examples:
- Try to stay off the grass.
- His glasses fell off.
- You can take off your hat.
- He finally had his mustache shaved off.
- Don't leave the yogurt with the top off.
- She took the picture off the wall.
- Bob kicked off his boots.
2) Away from a place.
Examples:
- She ran off without saying goodbye.
- All the cats ran off as soon as I arrived.
- You get off at the next station.
3) Not
operating or not at work.
Examples:
- Turn off your computer.
- The electricity is off.
- She had a year off, but now she is back in the office.
- I need some time off.
- You had a few days off last week.
3) Canceled.
Examples:
- The wedding is off.
- The deal is off.
- The competition is off.
4) Near a
place.
Examples:
- We visited an island off the coast off Italy.
- Their motel was just off the main road.
5) Far away.
Examples:
- I see a tower off in the distance.
- Jessica is off in Africa.
- Your birthday is a long way off.
- The winter is not so far off.
6. Less.
Examples:
- The shirts are $5 off, so instead of $12 they cost $7.
- All apples are %15 off until the end of the day.
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