Have you ever planned to do something but decided to leave it for later? In English, put off is the go-to expression for describing this kind of delay. However, many learners confuse it with similar terms like delay and postpone. So what does put off mean? Is it put off + Ving or put off + to V? How does it differ from delay and postpone?
Let’s explore all the answers with IDP IELTS.
1. What Does Put Off Mean?
The phrasal verb put off is formed from the verb put (to place) and the preposition off (to turn off or stop). Together, they take on a different meaning: to delay or postpone something to a later time.
Example: We put off our beach trip due to the bad weather.
In addition to "delay", put off can also mean:
To distract or lose focus: The shouts of the kids put me off my reading.
To remove clothes or shoes: After reaching the top of the mountain, she put off her shoes.
To discourage or turn someone away from something: Her negative attitude put me off joining the team.
2. How to Use Put Off Correctly
Structure: Put off something / Put something off
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, “put off” means to delay or move an activity to a later time.
Example: Tom decided to put off visiting his grandparents until the weekend due to his busy schedule.
Example: We planned to repaint the house this weekend, but the heavy rain forced us to put it off.
Structure: Put someone off
Depending on the context, this phrase can mean:
To refuse someone or reschedule a meeting: Sorry, I have to put you off today. Let's meet next week instead.
To distract or interrupt someone's focus: My dad's loud television completely put me off doing my homework.
To discourage or make someone lose interest: Her attitude really put me off joining the group.
3. Synonyms of Put Off
Here are several phrasal verbs and expressions with similar meanings to “put off”:
Expression | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
Hold off | Delay temporarily until a better time | Let's hold off on deciding until we have more information. |
Reschedule | Move an event or activity to a new time | She rescheduled her flight to next week due to a family issue. |
Suspend | Pause an activity temporarily or indefinitely | The school suspended extracurriculars during the storm warning. |
Adjourn | Pause a meeting or session and resume later | The court adjourned the hearing until Monday. |
Delay | Postpone something due to an unexpected event | The train was delayed due to signal problems. |
Postpone | Intentionally delay something to a later time | They had to postpone the wedding because of a family emergency. |
Shelve | Pause or put aside a plan or project indefinitely | The team decided to shelve the redesign until next quarter. |
Hang fire | Delay action due to indecision or waiting | The launch is hanging fire until testing is completed. |
4. Put Off vs Delay vs Postpone
Although these three terms all refer to delaying something, they are not always interchangeable. Here's a comparison:
Criteria | Put Off | Delay | Postpone |
|---|---|---|---|
Meaning | To avoid doing something, often emotionally or intentionally | A delay due to unexpected issues or disruptions | A deliberate decision to move something to a later time |
Tone | Informal, often negative or reluctant | Neutral | Neutral or formal |
Structure | Put off something / Put someone off | Delay + noun/Ving | Postpone + Ving / Postpone something to/from |
Example | She keeps putting off her homework. | The flight was delayed due to the storm. | We postponed the picnic until next week. |
5. How to Use Put Off in IELTS
IELTS Speaking
In IELTS Speaking Part 1, when discussing personal habits or routines, you can use put off to describe procrastination or postponing actions.
Example:
Question: What about your time management ability? Answer: I think I manage my time well, but I do tend to put things off sometimes. For instance, I often put off starting big projects because I'm anxious about the workload. That delay usually makes the task even more stressful closer to the deadline.
IELTS Writing
In IELTS Writing Task 2, “put off” can help express realistic situations or arguments when discussing personal responsibility, future planning, or time management.
Example:
Task: Some people believe planning for the future is a waste of time. To what extent do you agree?
Conclusion: While it is important to live in the moment, I believe that planning for the future should not be dismissed. Putting off important decisions can lead to missed opportunities or leave people unprepared for unexpected challenges.
6. Put Off Exercise with Answers
Fill in the blanks with: put off, reschedule, suspend
Due to the heavy rain, the outdoor event had to be __________ until next Saturday.
The company decided to __________ the annual meeting to a later date.
The professor had to __________ his office hours due to an emergency.
She had to __________ her doctor's appointment because of work.
The athlete was __________ from the competition for violating the rules.
Answers:
put off
reschedule
suspend
put off
suspended
Boost Your IELTS Score with Phrasal Verbs like Put Off
Mastering phrasal verbs like put off and knowing how to distinguish them from similar expressions such as delay and postpone will expand your vocabulary range and improve your fluency. In the IELTS exam, using these naturally will help you score higher in the Lexical Resource criterion.
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