Meaning trap
go off
food spoils
To become bad or no longer safe to eat because it is old.
phrasal verbB1common
Don't mix these meanings
Same phrase, different job.
food spoils
To become bad or no longer safe to eat because it is old.
go off (alarm rings or bomb explodes)
Another meaning of 'go off' is 'alarm rings or bomb explodes'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.
Hear it in context
Notice where the phrase sounds natural.
- The milk has gone off, so don’t drink it.daily life
- Food can go off quickly in hot weather if it’s not kept in the fridge.IELTS speaking
Fix the pattern
Pattern: go off (no object)
WrongThe fish is going off bad.
RightThe fish has gone off.
'Go off' already means spoil — don't add 'bad'. (AmE prefers 'go bad'.)
Patterngo off (no object)
Use it right
Choose the version that sounds natural in speech.
For food spoiling, natives say 'gone off' (BrE). 'Unfit for consumption' is label-speak. (AmE: 'gone bad'.)
Build natural chunks
Words that usually travel with it.
go offthe milkthe meatleftoversthe cream
Don't confuse it
Not about noise or people leaving.
Related
- go off (alarm rings or bomb explodes) — Another meaning of 'go off' is 'alarm rings or bomb explodes'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.