
Learn how to use the phrasal verb take off in multiple ways
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Lindsay McMahon
This is an All Ears English podcast. Episode 2425. Your English will take off with this phrasal verb. Welcome to the All Ears English podcast, downloaded more than 200 million times. Are you feeling stuck with your English? We'll show you how to become fearless and fluent by focusing on connection, not perfection, with your American hosts, Lindsay McMahon, the English adventurer, and Michelle Kaplan, the New York radio girl, coming to you from Colorado and New York City, usa. To get real time transcripts right on your phone and create your personalized vocabulary list, try the All Ears English app for iOS and Android. Start your seven day free trial at allearsenglish.com forward/app.
Michelle Kaplan
Do you hear? Native speakers use the phrasal verb take off all the time? Today we tackle the five meanings of this phrasal verb and show you how you can deploy it immediately for connection.
All Ears English
At Allers English. Our goal isn't perfect grammar, it's something bigger here, human connection. We believe English is more than vocabulary and rules. It's about laughing with co workers, making new friends, and sharing who you really are. Every episode gives you the tools to connect confidently in real conversations. No perfection needed. If you believe connection is the goal, tap, follow and join us on the journey with five fresh and fun episodes every single week. Hit the follow button on All Ears English now and we'll see you in the next episode.
Lindsay McMahon
Hey there, Michelle. How's it going?
Michelle Kaplan
Good, Lindsay, how are you?
Lindsay McMahon
Excellent. What are we talking about on the show today?
Michelle Kaplan
Well, so, Lindsay, when did All Ears English really start to take off?
Lindsay McMahon
Well, I don't know, Michelle. I don't want to say this because I feel bad saying it, but really early on.
Michelle Kaplan
Don'T feel bad. That's good.
Lindsay McMahon
The first couple of months, it just started taking off. We noticed the downloads were quite high. I think people liked what we were doing right from the start in 2013. So awesome.
Michelle Kaplan
That's great. That's great that it took off so quickly, Lindsay. Actually, today we are going to spend time discussing this phrasal verb, take off. Yes, we've spoken a little bit about it in previous episodes, but today we just want to focus on it because it's so, so useful. And you guys are going to see that today. There are a bunch of different ways you can use it.
Lindsay McMahon
Yeah, I love when we have an entire episode dedicated to a phrasal verb because this kind of unlocks A, A high, you know, A high, B2, A low, C1 level. Moving into C2, being able to drop these phrasal verbs naturally, especially with one like takeoff, where it has multiple meanings.
Michelle Kaplan
Oh, my gosh.
Lindsay McMahon
Y.
Michelle Kaplan
There are a lot. Yes, there are a lot of meanings. Yeah. So, I mean, there are even more than what we're doing today. And we can always. A followup. We're going to focus on some of the main ones. Yes. So should we go for it? Should we do the first one?
Lindsay McMahon
Let's do it. But first, guys, don't forget to go ahead and hit that follow button. Maybe there's other things we could say. Tap the follow button. Push the follow button. Michelle, there's a lot of ways we could say it, but you need to make sure you are following all ears.
Michelle Kaplan
English. Great point, Lindsay. Yeah.
Lindsay McMahon
That way you get all the episodes. You don't miss a single bonus. You don't miss a sassy Saturday episode. Right?
Michelle Kaplan
That's right. Yeah. We love those. We love hanging out with you guys on Saturdays.
Lindsay McMahon
Yeah, for sure. So hit that follow button right now to be part of our philosophy of connection, not perfection. Okay. Love it. All right, Michelle, let's dive into it. We're ready.
Michelle Kaplan
Ready to go. Here we go. Flight. Okay. This is one of the most common ones. Right. So the plane takes off. So, yeah, the. What time does the plane take off? Right. Interestingly, you can't say take the plane off. Right. So this is one. This is one that is inseparable. Right. We can't. We can't put it on the inside. So it has to be take off. So, for example, what time are you taking off?
Lindsay McMahon
Yes. I love it. What time are you taking off? I just flew last weekend over to Salt Lake City. It's a quick jaunt. That's a bonus word for today, Michelle. John.
Michelle Kaplan
Okay, Right.
Lindsay McMahon
Jaunt. A quick jaunt from Denver over to SLC Salt Lake City because my stepbrother was graduating.
Michelle Kaplan
So how was that?
Lindsay McMahon
It was really fun. They invited us. All the families, like grandparents, parents, and the kids were invited to a frat party. Not really a frat party, but a party in his frat house. So we had the truck. We had a band in the backyard playing games. I felt like a college kid again, Michelle.
Michelle Kaplan
Oh, that's fun. Oh, that's really fun.
Lindsay McMahon
But one thing that I know that is true, when you take off from different airports, it's a very different experience. Right?
Michelle Kaplan
Yes. And there's. There's, like a lot of problems now, I think at one of the airports. Yeah.
Lindsay McMahon
Newark. I know. We. We actually canceled our flight. We actually changed our flight. We were going to layover in Newark for our trip to Europe. And we changed that to avoid Newark Airport.
Michelle Kaplan
Yeah. Yeah. Lots of problems.
Lindsay McMahon
So. Yeah, in. Go ahead, Michelle. Yes.
Michelle Kaplan
Sorry. No, that. Yeah, the. The next thing you could say is the flight took off late because of the snowstorm. So. Yeah, lots of del. Very. I was watching the news last night and I felt so bad when I heard them say about. About the delays and what everybody's going through. There's like, oh, there's lots of parents here with small children. And I just thought, oh, you can. My goodness. Yeah, it's hard when the plane takes off on time. I can't imagine that going through that. I hope they work this out.
Lindsay McMahon
Yeah. You can really empathize with them. I mean, one thing that we know is just anytime we book flights to the east coast in the winter, we always expect issues. Right. I mean, this is not the Newark issue. The New York issue is a bigger problem with traffic control staffing. But in the winter, we always make sure to leave an extra day for error that it won't be able to take off because of snow or deicing the plane or all this. This old. All these things, Michelle.
Michelle Kaplan
Yep, yep, exactly. So. And just so you know, you can also use takeoff in this context, but it's as a noun. So, for example, I chew gum during takeoff, so my ears don't hurt.
Lindsay McMahon
Oh, interesting. Is that you. Do you do that?
Michelle Kaplan
Yeah, I used to do it more. I used to get very painful ear pain.
Lindsay McMahon
Okay.
Michelle Kaplan
Yeah. When I was flying, so I would always be chewing gum and opening my mouth. It still happens from time to time, but my son got it this time, and I felt so bad because you're so helpless. There's nothing you can do. Do you ever get that?
Lindsay McMahon
No, it doesn't really happen to me that much, thankfully. But I know it does happen to some people, so. But it's interesting, though, that we are using this as a noun here. During takeoff, during an event. So it becomes an event. It's no longer a phrasal verb. It's a noun in that case. And it becomes one word. Right. Instead of two.
Michelle Kaplan
Yep, yep, exactly. So take off.
Lindsay McMahon
So good.
Michelle Kaplan
Good to know that. So let's. Let's head away from flying for a second and do another example of how this is. So this one is to take a break. Right. So, for example, like, it's like to take off from work. So I'm going to take off tomorrow to get my eyes checked.
Lindsay McMahon
Yeah. And it's interesting that we don't always have to say take off from work or from my job. We understand that that's what it means, Right?
Michelle Kaplan
That's true. That's true. Or what's another way that. Another example.
Lindsay McMahon
Is it okay if I take off four days next week? It's an emergency. Okay, so take off four days. So take off an amount of time. Take off a day, Take off Wednesday, take off Friday. Very common, Right?
Michelle Kaplan
Right. What do you think about this one? Can you separate this in this context?
Lindsay McMahon
Take the day off, for example. Yeah, I think you can. So you might say something like, hey, you've been working hard. Take the day off. You need a rest. Right.
Michelle Kaplan
Or like in these examples. So is it okay if I take off four days next week? You could have said, is it okay if I take four days off? Right.
Lindsay McMahon
Yes.
Michelle Kaplan
Or I'm going to take tomorrow off. So these ones you can separate.
Lindsay McMahon
All right. So this one is a separable phrasal verb, unlike the other one when we're flying, that we can't separate it. Good to know. Good to know. Okay. Is there still another one, Michelle, that we would use? Another meaning of take off.
Michelle Kaplan
Let's do another one. So this one is to leave somewhere sometimes when you're in a rush. So for example, okay, I think I'm gonna take off. It's getting late.
Lindsay McMahon
I love it. It's a very casual way of saying you're gonna leave. Right? Casual. It's not. I don't know. There's something kind of harsh when you say I'm going to leave. It doesn't have to be, but sometimes there is kind of direct when we use the actual verb. And we've talked about this on the show before, Michelle, we can use phrasal verbs to be a little more socially integrated or socially soft. Yeah, right.
Michelle Kaplan
It's true. It's true. Instead of I'm going to leave. Right. I'm gonna take off sounds much better. Or what's another sample sentence?
Lindsay McMahon
She took off without even saying goodbye. I think she was in a rush to pick up her dog.
Michelle Kaplan
Okay.
Lindsay McMahon
Yeah.
Michelle Kaplan
What. What do you think about the separation here? Could you. Yeah, to me, I don't think you can really separate these ones.
Lindsay McMahon
No, we can't. This one, in this meaning of leaving, it's not separable.
Michelle Kaplan
Right.
Lindsay McMahon
We would not put a pronoun or anything in between. Take an off here. Okay.
Michelle Kaplan
Exactly.
Lindsay McMahon
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Michelle Kaplan
We have two if you want, but we don't have to do both.
Lindsay McMahon
Let's do it. Let's do this. Let's do this next one. What is this?
Michelle Kaplan
Okay, this one is to excel quickly. So this goes back to what I asked you in the beginning. So how long did it take Allers English to take off? Right. So another example could be she had a hard time at first, but once she learned the ropes, she really took off. So she excelled quickly.
Lindsay McMahon
Exactly. Exactly. So she took off again. This one, I think is inseparable too. Right? We can't. We wouldn't put anything in between. Took off for this meaning either. Nope. Yeah, nope. And let's do the last one for today. It is separable. This last one. This means removing something. So take your jacket off. Stay a while. What did I put in the middle?
Michelle Kaplan
Your jacket.
Lindsay McMahon
Yes.
Michelle Kaplan
Yes. Yeah. Right. You could say. Or can you take that paper off the table? It looks a little messy.
Lindsay McMahon
Yes. Excellent. All right, good. Oh, my gosh, Michelle. So we've gone through, what is it, five or six different meanings for this one simple phrasal verb.
Michelle Kaplan
Wow. Yep. Yep. Exactly. So there is a lot here, guys. We basically did five ways. So again, I'm just going to review them. Them. So again, we did to fly. What time does your plane take off? What was the next one, Lindsay? To take a break. The.
Lindsay McMahon
To take a break. To take time off. Right. Take off from work.
Michelle Kaplan
The next one is to leave, maybe in a rush. So. Oh, I'm going to take off now. I'm exhausted.
Lindsay McMahon
Yeah. And then the next one to excel quickly.
Michelle Kaplan
Right.
Lindsay McMahon
To. So, for example, to take off to become successful. Oh, her. Her brand really took off. Okay.
Michelle Kaplan
And then the next one is to remove something. Right. I'm gonna take off my sweatshirt because I'm really hot.
Lindsay McMahon
Yes. I love it. Oh, my gosh. All right, so don't fret, guys. We always have a good role play for you to show you how these all integrate and come together for connection. So perfect. What's happening here?
Michelle Kaplan
Well, we are friends and we're getting coffee, so let's discuss. All right, sounds good. I'm so excited for you to finally go on vacation, Lindsay.
Lindsay McMahon
Oh, same. I really needed to take some time off and get a break.
Michelle Kaplan
You deserve it. So what time is your flight taking off?
Lindsay McMahon
4Pm so I'll probably try to leave at 1:30.
Michelle Kaplan
Awesome. Do you still have to take off your shoes to get through security? Make sure you don't wear your big boots, Lindsay.
Lindsay McMahon
Yeah, so. Wow, you're right. That would take up way too much time. Thanks for the reminder.
Michelle Kaplan
Exactly. Well, I'm glad to hear you have some time for lunch still. I thought you were gonna have to take off right when we got our food.
Lindsay McMahon
Nope, I have time. So I can't wait to hear about how your business is taking off.
Michelle Kaplan
Yes. Finally, things are getting moving.
Lindsay McMahon
Great. Wow. Okay. We've got a lot of usages here.
Michelle Kaplan
Lots of taking off. It's funny because it sounds. I mean, of course, it does start to sound a little bit repetitive, but it's also so common and the meanings are different that it.
Lindsay McMahon
Yeah, it.
Michelle Kaplan
I don't know. Like, I don't know if you would notice that it's being used so much. I don't know. What do you think?
Lindsay McMahon
I think you wouldn't necessarily notice that because like we said, I mean, it's got five, six, and probably there are meetings of takeoff that we didn't even cover today.
Michelle Kaplan
Oh, yeah.
Lindsay McMahon
We've covered the most common ones. So it is everywhere in our language this phrase, takeoff. So, all right, let's start with the first one I said. I said, oh, so you said, I'm excited for you to finally go on vacation. And I said, oh, same. I really needed to take some time off and get a break.
Michelle Kaplan
And you could have said, I really needed to take off some time. Right. Or you could have just said, I really needed to take off. Right.
Lindsay McMahon
You could have to take off. Yeah, you could have said that for sure. And Then what did you say, Michelle?
Michelle Kaplan
I said, so what time is your flight taking off?
Lindsay McMahon
This is about the airplane, literally. I. And we really only. And that's the interesting part, right. For that we. It's only really about airplanes. It's not about boats. What time does the boat take off? No, no.
Michelle Kaplan
I guess the rocket ship, maybe, or.
Lindsay McMahon
Yeah, if you're going to space, if you're lucky enough to be going to space. But I have a feeling maybe one or two of our listeners, who knows? But who knows?
Michelle Kaplan
Maybe one day.
Lindsay McMahon
Yeah, maybe one day. But it's not about the bus. It's just about an airplane. So that kind of simplifies it a little bit for our listeners here. Okay.
Michelle Kaplan
Yeah, that's true. And then I said, oh, do you still have to take off your shoes to get through security? Because I'm worried because apparently Lindsay's known for her big boots and that could take a very long time to take off.
Lindsay McMahon
Yes, exactly. I wear big boots, I guess. Right. To remove your shoes. Right. Remove a jacket, remove shoes, that kind of thing. And then you said, well, I'm glad to hear you have some time, some time for lunch still. I thought you were going to have to take off. Right. When we got our food and in this case, I mean to leave to exit the restaurant, the cafe. Right, right.
Michelle Kaplan
Because I knew you're going away and I kind of thought we were meeting for just a really quick lunch. And so I was happy to hear that we can have a little bit of a sit down, a little bit of a chat.
Lindsay McMahon
Nice. Love that.
Michelle Kaplan
Yeah.
Lindsay McMahon
And that's nice. It's nice to acknowledge that it's a connection moment. Hey, you want to spend more time with the person, you make it clear that you're glad they can stay. Right?
Michelle Kaplan
That's right. And then you're showing me, okay. That you're really not in a rush by changing the topic to really at something new. So you're saying, oh, I can't wait to hear about how your business is taking off. So excelling.
Lindsay McMahon
Love it. So good. It's incredible how many different meanings we went through today. But, Michelle, it's. It's integrated in our language. It's a key phrase. Right. Key phrasal verb. So, guys, the phrasal verb take off, try to take one of these meanings and use it today. Okay?
Michelle Kaplan
Yeah. Yep. Go for it. So, Lindsay, I hope that when you go on your trip, your flight, to take off on time.
Lindsay McMahon
Yeah, we really hope so. Now that we changed our plans for to not go to Newark that should help a little bit, but we'll see, we'll see what happens. Michelle. Another episode our listeners could go to is 2412 when go means said in English. Wow, Interesting. Check that out, guys.
Michelle Kaplan
Wonder what that's about. Yep, definitely. Listen to that. So, takeaways for today, Lindsay.
Lindsay McMahon
Take away for today. I think it's a really smart approach to learn phrasal verbs like take off, where essentially once you learn them, you know that they can be used essentially all over the English language in many different connection moments. So this would be a good one to focus in on. It's kind of an 8020 approach, Michelle.
Michelle Kaplan
Yeah, I agree. I think this one is just so huge. I mean, it's, look at it, it's, it's for daily life. This is not some sort of fancy schmancy. Oh, we may never use it. Right. This is very, very useful. You can start using it today. I'm sure one of these you' oh, well, yeah, actually I could use this one later today. Right. So decide, decide which one that is. Go out, try it later today to lose.
Lindsay McMahon
And as we're experimenting with these phrasal verbs, don't forget that the goal here is always human connection. Y so you can still, if you, if you mess it up, if you use, if you separate it when you shouldn't separate it, the person's going to understand and they're going to understand that you're trying to connect with them. And that's what we're doing. Okay? That's the ultimate goal. So never forget our philosophy here. Connection, not perfection. Okay?
Michelle Kaplan
Absolutely. Love it. All right, Lindsay, thanks for chatting about this with me today. And I guess I'm gonna take off.
Lindsay McMahon
All right, Michelle, have a good one.
Michelle Kaplan
All right, bye. You too.
Lindsay McMahon
Thanks for listening. To all ears. English. Would you like to know your English level? Take our two minute quiz. Go to allearsenglish.com forward/fluency score. And if you believe in connection, not personal perfection, then hit subscribe now to make sure you don't miss anything. See you next time.
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All Ears English Podcast: Episode 2425 – “Your English Will Take Off with this Phrasal Verb”
Release Date: June 12, 2025
In Episode 2425 of the All Ears English Podcast, hosts Lindsay McMahon and Michelle Kaplan delve into the versatile phrasal verb “take off.” This episode is tailored for intermediate to advanced English learners aiming to enhance their conversational skills and understanding of American English nuances. Here's a comprehensive summary capturing the key discussions, insights, and examples shared throughout the episode.
The episode kicks off with Michelle Kaplan highlighting the prevalence of the phrasal verb “take off” in everyday conversations. She emphasizes its five distinct meanings and the importance of mastering its usage to improve English fluency and connection with native speakers.
Michelle Kaplan [01:00]: “Do you hear? Native speakers use the phrasal verb take off all the time? Today we tackle the five meanings of this phrasal verb and show you how you can deploy it immediately for connection.”
Lindsay McMahon and Michelle Kaplan methodically break down each meaning, providing clear definitions and practical examples to illustrate their usage.
Meaning: Refers to an airplane becoming airborne.
Usage: Inseparable phrasal verb; cannot separate “take” and “off.”
Michelle Kaplan [04:01]: “So, this one is one of the most common ones. Right. So the plane takes off. So, yeah, the. What time does the plane take off?”
Example:
Lindsay McMahon [04:33]: “Yeah. I love it. What time are you taking off? I just flew last weekend over to Salt Lake City.”
Meaning: To take time off from work or daily responsibilities.
Usage: Separable phrasal verb; can separate “take” and “off.”
Michelle Kaplan [07:37]: “This one is to take a break. Right. So, for example, like, it’s like to take off from work. So I’m going to take off tomorrow to get my eyes checked.”
Example:
Lindsay McMahon [07:55]: “Is it okay if I take off four days next week? It’s an emergency.”
Meaning: To leave a place quickly or suddenly.
Usage: Inseparable phrasal verb; cannot separate “take” and “off.”
Michelle Kaplan [09:02]: “Sometimes when you’re in a rush. So for example, okay, I think I’m gonna take off. It’s getting late.”
Example:
Lindsay McMahon [09:12]: “I really needed to take some time off and get a break.”
Meaning: To become successful or to advance rapidly.
Usage: Inseparable phrasal verb; cannot separate “take” and “off.”
Michelle Kaplan [12:05]: “This one is to excel quickly. So this goes back to what I asked you in the beginning. So how long did it take All Ears English to take off?”
Example:
Lindsay McMahon [12:25]: “She really took off. So she excelled quickly.”
Meaning: To remove an article of clothing or an object.
Usage: Separable phrasal verb; can separate “take” and “off.”
Michelle Kaplan [12:46]: “This last one. This means removing something. So take your jacket off.”
Example:
Lindsay McMahon [12:48]: “Can you take that paper off the table? It looks a little messy.”
To solidify understanding, Lindsay and Michelle engage in a role play that naturally incorporates the various meanings of “take off.” This practical demonstration helps listeners see how the phrasal verb functions within a real conversation.
Excerpt from Role Play:
Michelle Kaplan [14:05]: “I'm so excited for you to finally go on vacation, Lindsay.”
Lindsay McMahon [14:16]: “Oh, same. I really needed to take some time off and get a break.”
Michelle Kaplan [14:21]: “You deserve it. So what time is your flight taking off?”
Lindsay McMahon [14:24]: “4 PM, so I'll probably try to leave at 1:30.”
Michelle Kaplan [14:34]: “Do you still have to take off your shoes to get through security?”
Lindsay McMahon [14:40]: “Yeah, so. Wow, you're right. That would take up way too much time. Thanks for the reminder.”
Michelle Kaplan [14:47]: “I'm glad you have some time for lunch still. I thought you were gonna have to take off right when we got our food.”
Lindsay McMahon [14:51]: “I have time. So I can't wait to hear about how your business is taking off.”
Michelle Kaplan [14:54]: “Yes. Finally, things are getting moving.”
This dialogue encapsulates the different contexts in which “take off” can be used, from scheduling flights to discussing business success.
As the episode concludes, the hosts reinforce the significance of mastering phrasal verbs like “take off” for effective communication and human connection. They encourage listeners to actively incorporate these verbs into their daily conversations to enhance fluency and build relationships.
Lindsay McMahon [17:57]: “It's a key phrasal verb. So, guys, the phrasal verb take off, try to take one of these meanings and use it today.”
Michelle Kaplan [18:28]: “So, Lindsay, I hope that when you go on your trip, your flight, to take off on time.”
Furthermore, both hosts reiterate their podcast philosophy:
Lindsay McMahon [19:10]: “And remember, the goal is always human connection. So, if you mess it up, the person’s going to understand that you're trying to connect with them. That’s what we're doing. Connection, not perfection.”
Episode 2425 of the All Ears English Podcast provides an insightful and practical exploration of the phrasal verb “take off,” illustrating its multifaceted uses in everyday English. Through clear definitions, relatable examples, and engaging role plays, Lindsay McMahon and Michelle Kaplan equip listeners with the tools to confidently incorporate this versatile verb into their language repertoire. Embracing their philosophy of “connection, not perfection,” listeners are encouraged to practice fearlessly, enhancing both their linguistic skills and their ability to connect with others.
For those eager to expand their English proficiency, this episode is a valuable resource that underscores the dynamic nature of phrasal verbs and their pivotal role in fluent, natural communication.