Meaning trap
head off
leave for a place
to start going somewhere, especially to leave a place and begin a journey.
Don't mix these meanings
Same phrase, different job.
to start going somewhere, especially to leave a place and begin a journey.
Another meaning of 'head off' is 'prevent something'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.
Hear it in context
Notice where the phrase sounds natural.
- I usually head off to work around 8 a.m.daily life
- If I have an early class, I try to head off before the traffic gets bad.IELTS speaking
Fix the pattern
Pattern: head off (to/for [place])
WrongLet's head off the beach.
RightLet's head off to the beach.
'Head off TO a place'. Without 'to' it reads as 'head off' = prevent.
Patternhead off (to/for [place])
Use it right
Choose the version that sounds natural in speech.
'Head off' is the casual way to say you're setting out. 'Depart for' is formal.
Build natural chunks
Words that usually travel with it.
head off + toto workhometo bedearly
Don't confuse it
Not the same as 'head out', which can mean just leaving without a clear destination.
Related
- head off (prevent something) — Another meaning of 'head off' is 'prevent something'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.