What Does โSend sb sth offโ Mean?
โSend sb sth offโ means to cause someone to send something, usually a letter, parcel, or message, to another place or person. It often involves initiating the dispatch or mailing of an item.
Introduction
The phrase โsend sb sth offโ is a common phrasal verb in English used to describe the action of causing someone to send something away. The โsbโ stands for โsomebody,โ and โsthโ stands for โsomething,โ which means the phrase refers to sending an item or message through someone else. Understanding the send sb sth off meaning helps learners use it correctly in various contexts like mailing letters, shipping parcels, or even digitally sending files. This phrase is useful in both formal and informal situations, making it a flexible expression to have in your vocabulary.
Quick Info Box
- Phrasal verb: send sb sth off (send somebody something off)
- Type: transitive
- Level: B1 (Intermediate)
- Short meaning: to cause someone to send something away
Structure (Grammar Rules)
โSend sb sth offโ is a separable phrasal verb with an indirect object (โsbโ) and a direct object (โsthโ). The structure usually follows:
- send + somebody + something + off
- Example: She sent him the letter off yesterday.
You can also place the direct object before or after the indirect object, but the phrasal verb โoffโ stays at the end.
- send + something + off + to + somebody
- Example: She sent the letter off to him yesterday.
How to Use โSend sb sth offโ?
Examples
Here are some natural sentences using โsend sb sth offโ:
- I asked my assistant to send the documents off to the client this morning.
- Can you send the package off to Sarah before noon?
- He sent his secretary the forms to send off by post.
- They sent the photographer the photos to send off for printing.
- She sent her friend the parcel off to the new address.
Send sb sth off in a sentence means you are telling someone to send something away, often through mail or courier.
Common Mistakes
Many learners confuse the order of the objects or forget to include โoff.โ Here are some common errors:
- Incorrect: She sent off him the letter.
- Correct: She sent him the letter off.
- Incorrect: Send sth sb off.
- Correct: Send sb sth off.
Remember, the indirect object (sb) comes before the direct object (sth), and โoffโ stays at the end.
Differences / Synonyms
โSend sb sth offโ is similar to โsend sth to sbโ but with a focus on causing the sending action. Other phrasal verbs like โmail sth,โ โship sth,โ or โpost sthโ focus on the sending itself rather than the involvement of a third person.
- Send sb sth off: cause someone to send something away
- Send sth to sb: directly send something to someone
- Mail sth: send something by postal service
The key difference is that โsend sb sth offโ involves an intermediary (someone who sends the item).
Common Collocations
We often use โsend sb sth offโ with items related to communication or delivery. Here are common collocations:
- send sb letters off โ to mail letters
- send sb packages off โ to ship packages
- send sb documents off โ to dispatch official papers
- send sb forms off โ to send official forms
- send sb photos off โ to send pictures for printing or sharing
Related Phrasal Verbs
Here are related phrasal verbs of send sb sth off:
Real-life Dialogue
Hereโs a short conversation using โsend sb sth offโ:
Anna: Did you send the report off to the manager?
Ben: Not yet. I asked Sarah to send it off this afternoon.
Anna: Great. Let me know once itโs done.
Practice
Try completing the sentences below with the correct form of โsend sb sth offโ:
- She asked her assistant to ______ the invoices ______ to the accounting department.
- Can you ______ the package ______ to my sister before Friday?
- He ______ the application forms ______ to the university last week.
FAQs
- What does โsend sb sth offโ mean?
It means to cause someone to send something away, like a letter or package. - Is โsend sb sth offโ formal or informal?
It can be used in both formal and informal contexts. - Can I say โsend sth sb offโ?
No, the correct order is โsend sb sth off.โ - What types of things can be sent off?
Letters, packages, documents, photos, and forms are common. - Is โsend sb sth offโ the same as โsend sth to sbโ?
Not exactly. โSend sb sth offโ involves causing someone else to send something.
