Meaning trap
take off
plane leaves the ground
When a plane leaves the ground and starts flying.
Don't mix these meanings
Same phrase, different job.
When a plane leaves the ground and starts flying.
Another meaning of 'take off' is 'become successful'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.
Hear it in context
Notice where the phrase sounds natural.
- The plane will take off in a few minutes.travel
- During my last holiday, our flight took off late because of bad weather.IELTS speaking
Fix the pattern
Pattern: take off (no object)
WrongThe plane took off at Gatwick.
RightThe plane took off from Gatwick.
For the departure point use 'take off FROM a place'; 'at' is only for the time.
Patterntake off (no object)
Use it right
Choose the version that sounds natural in speech.
'Take off' is the everyday verb for a plane leaving the ground; 'became airborne' is technical.
Build natural chunks
Words that usually travel with it.
take off + flighton timefrom Gatwicksmoothlylate
Don't confuse it
Not the same as 'land', which means to come down to the ground.
Related
- take off (become successful) — Another meaning of 'take off' is 'become successful'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.