Set out means to start a journey, or to begin something with a specific aim (set out to + verb). In the first meaning, it usually describes a long or important trip; in the second, what someone wanted to achieve from the very start.
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set out (for + place); set out on + a journey/trip; set out to + verb
- We set out before sunrise to reach the top of the mountain by noon.
- When she started the company, she set out to make eco-friendly packaging cheaper.
- The study set out to explain why so many first-year students change courses.
What changed
First versionLast summer we set out to a long journey across Norway.
RevisionLast summer we set out on a long journey across Norway.
With journey, trip and adventure, English uses on: set out on a journey, go on a trip. What's more, set out to usually means 'to aim to do something', so the listener expects a verb after to, not a noun.
When it means 'to leave', set out and set off are almost the same: We set off at dawn = We set out at dawn. But only set out can express an aim with to + verb, and set off has another meaning, 'to make something go off': The smoke set off the fire alarm.
Your turn
The researchers ___ to prove that short naps improve memory, and their results supported the idea.
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set out — The researchers aren't going anywhere: they set themselves the goal of proving an idea, which is set out to + verb. Set off is used for leaving on a journey or for an alarm going off; nobody uses it for the aim of a study.
Describe a goal you set yourself in your studies or at work. Say what you wanted to achieve and by when.
In September I set out to learn 500 new English words by the end of the year.
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