Mastering ‘Put off’ for IELTS Success: Boost Your Speaking and Writing Scores

1. Definition and Explanation

The phrasal verb ‘put off’ is a versatile expression that plays a crucial role in everyday English and can significantly enhance your IELTS performance. It primarily means to postpone or delay an action or event. However, it can also mean to discourage someone from doing something or to create a feeling of dislike or disgust.

Primary meanings:

1. To postpone or delay: “I’ve put off my dentist appointment until next month.”
2. To discourage: “His rude behavior put me off joining the club.”
3. To create a feeling of dislike: “The smell of the fish put me off my dinner.”

Synonyms for ‘put off’ include postpone, delay, defer, and procrastinate. Understanding these nuances can help you use the phrase more accurately in your IELTS responses.

2. Contextual Usage

‘Put off’ is commonly used in both formal and informal contexts, making it a valuable addition to your IELTS vocabulary. Here are some examples:

• Informal: “I keep putting off cleaning my room. It’s getting out of hand!”
• Formal: “The committee has decided to put off the decision until further research is conducted.”
• Written: “Due to unforeseen circumstances, we regret to inform you that the event has been put off indefinitely.”
• Spoken: “I’m not feeling well today. Can we put off our meeting till tomorrow?”

Examples of 'Put off' usage in different contexts

3. Grammatical Analysis

‘Put off’ is a separable phrasal verb, which means the object can be placed between ‘put’ and ‘off’ or after ‘off’. For example:

• “I put off the meeting.” (Object after the phrasal verb)
• “I put the meeting off.” (Object between the two parts)

However, if you’re using a pronoun, it must go between ‘put’ and ‘off’:

• “I put it off.” (Correct)
• “I put off it.” (Incorrect)

Understanding this flexibility can help you construct more varied sentences in your IELTS responses.

4. Application in IELTS

In IELTS Speaking:

‘Put off’ can be effectively used to answer various IELTS Speaking questions. For example:

Question: “Do you often postpone things you need to do?”
Sample answer: “I try not to, but sometimes I find myself putting off tasks that I find challenging or time-consuming. For instance, I often put off writing essays until the last minute, which I know isn’t a good habit.”

In IELTS Writing:

In Writing Task 2, you can use ‘put off’ to discuss procrastination, decision-making processes, or environmental issues. For example:

“Many people tend to put off making important lifestyle changes that could benefit the environment, such as reducing plastic use or conserving energy.”

Remember to use it judiciously, as overuse of any phrasal verb can make your writing seem informal.

5. Related Phrasal Verbs

1. Put on (/pʊt ɒn/) – To dress in something: “I put on my coat before going outside.”
2. Put up with (/pʊt ʌp wɪð/) – To tolerate: “I can’t put up with his constant complaining.”
3. Put across (/pʊt əˈkrɒs/) – To communicate or explain clearly: “She put across her ideas very effectively in the meeting.”
4. Put away (/pʊt əˈweɪ/) – To store or save: “Please put away your toys after playing.”
5. Put down (/pʊt daʊn/) – To criticize or insult: “Don’t put down others’ efforts; it’s demoralizing.”
6. Put forward (/pʊt ˈfɔːwəd/) – To propose or suggest: “He put forward an interesting solution to the problem.”
7. Put out (/pʊt aʊt/) – To extinguish: “The firefighters quickly put out the fire.”
8. Put up (/pʊt ʌp/) – To construct or erect: “They’re putting up a new building in the city center.”
9. Put through (/pʊt θruː/) – To connect someone on a phone call: “Could you put me through to the manager, please?”
10. Put aside (/pʊt əˈsaɪd/) – To save for future use: “I try to put aside some money each month for emergencies.”

Related phrasal verbs with 'put'

6. Practice Exercises

Fill in the blanks:

1. I’ve __ __ studying for my exam until the last minute.
2. The bad weather __ me __ going to the beach.
3. We had to __ __ the wedding due to COVID-19 restrictions.
4. His arrogant attitude __ everyone __.
5. Don’t __ __ doing your homework; it will only pile up.
6. The strong smell of garlic __ her __ eating the dish.
7. The meeting has been __ __ until further notice.
8. I can’t keep __ __ this decision; I need to make up my mind.
9. The unpleasant odor __ __ potential buyers from the house.
10. She keeps __ __ her dentist appointment out of fear.

Sentence transformation:

1. They postponed the concert because of bad weather.
   They __ __ the concert because of bad weather.

2. His constant complaining discouraged me from working with him.
   His constant complaining __ me __ working with him.

3. I can’t delay this task any longer.
   I can’t __ __ this task any longer.

4. The foul smell made the customers lose their appetite.
   The foul smell __ the customers __ their meal.

5. We need to reschedule the meeting to next week.
   We need to __ __ the meeting to next week.

6. Her rude behavior discouraged many people from attending the event.
   Her rude behavior __ many people __ attending the event.

7. Don’t procrastinate on your studies.
   Don’t __ __ your studies.

8. The company has delayed the product launch indefinitely.
   The company has __ __ the product launch indefinitely.

9. His constant interruptions made me lose interest in the conversation.
   His constant interruptions __ me __ the conversation.

10. We can’t keep postponing this decision forever.
    We can’t keep __ __ this decision forever.

Answers and Explanations:

Fill in the blanks:

1. put off
2. put off
3. put off
4. put off
5. put off
6. put off
7. put off
8. putting off
9. put off
10. putting off

Sentence transformation:

1. put off
2. put off
3. put off
4. put off
5. put off
6. put off
7. put off
8. put off
9. put off
10. putting off

Explanations:

• In all these sentences, ‘put off’ is used to mean either postpone/delay or discourage/create dislike.
• Note the use of continuous tense in sentences 8 and 10 of the fill-in-the-blanks exercise and sentence 10 of the transformation exercise.
• In the transformation exercises, pay attention to how ‘put off’ replaces words like ‘postpone’, ‘delay’, ‘reschedule’, and ‘discourage’.

7. Memorization Tips

To remember ‘put off’ and its meanings, try these memory aids:

1. Visualize pushing a calendar date further away when you ‘put off’ a task.
2. Think of the phrase “Off with you!” when something puts you off (creates dislike).
3. Create a mnemonic: “Procrastinators Often Fail Frequently” (POFF – Put Off).
4. Associate ‘put off’ with the image of pushing something away from you on a table, symbolizing delay or dislike.

8. Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

1. Mistake: Using ‘put off’ with a gerund instead of a noun or pronoun.
   Correct: “I put off studying” or “I put it off”, not “I put off to study”

2. Mistake: Confusing ‘put off’ (postpone) with ‘call off’ (cancel).
   Remember: ‘Put off’ means to delay, while ‘call off’ means to cancel entirely.

3. Mistake: Using ‘put off’ in very formal writing without considering the context.
   Tip: In formal IELTS Writing Task 2 essays, consider using ‘postpone’ or ‘delay’ instead.

4. Mistake: Forgetting that ‘put off’ can mean ‘discourage’ or ‘create dislike’.
   Tip: Always consider the context to determine which meaning is intended.

To use ‘put off’ effectively in IELTS:

• Practice using it in different tenses and forms.
• Incorporate it naturally into your speaking and writing, but don’t overuse it.
• Be aware of its multiple meanings and use them appropriately in context.

9. Conclusion

Mastering phrasal verbs like ‘put off’ can significantly enhance your IELTS performance. Its versatility allows you to express ideas of postponement, discouragement, and dislike more naturally and idiomatically. Remember to practice using ‘put off’ in various contexts and tenses to fully incorporate it into your active vocabulary. By doing so, you’ll not only improve your IELTS scores but also your overall English proficiency. Don’t put off practicing – start using ‘put off’ in your everyday English today!

For more phrasal verbs that can boost your IELTS score, check out our guide on how to use ‘put on’ effectively in IELTS. Additionally, to broaden your vocabulary on contemporary topics, you might find our article on how quantum computing will transform data security interesting and useful for IELTS preparation.