English Reference

Phrasal verb

take sth off

Definition

phrasal verb. to remove a piece of clothing or an accessory from your body.

phrasal verb. to remove a garment, footwear, or accessory from the person; transitive phrasal verb with a concrete physical object.

Examples

“Please take your shoes off before you enter the house.”

“He took his coat off and hung it on the hook behind the door.”

“The surgeon took off his gloves with practiced precision after the procedure was successfully completed.”

Examples

simple

“Please take your shoes off before you enter the house.”

contextual

“He took his coat off and hung it on the hook behind the door.”

complex

“The surgeon took off his gloves with practiced precision after the procedure was successfully completed.”

Usage

commonly used with items of clothing, jewelry, or glasses.

Teaching tip

contrast with 'put on' as the direct antonym; highlight that it is separable, especially when using pronouns like 'it' or 'them'.

Pitfall

Take off it.

Take it off.

when the object is a pronoun, it must go between the verb and the particle.

Phrasal verb

Particles

off

Separability

optional

Pattern

take (+ object) + off (+ object)

Synonyms

Antonyms

put ondon

Grammar

This entry

Level
A2 · Elementary
Updated

Scan code

englishreference.com/q/take-sth-off

English Reference