Switch off means to turn something off: a light, a phone, a TV, the heating. The second meaning is to switch off yourself: to stop listening, or to stop thinking about work and relax.
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switch off + light/phone/TV; switch + it/them + off; switch off (= stop listening, relax); switch off from work
- Please switch off your phones before the exam starts.
- Can you switch the heating off? It's really warm in here.
- On holiday I completely switch off and don't check my work emails.
What changed
First versionThe TV is too loud, can you switch off it?
RevisionThe TV is too loud, can you switch it off?
When the object is a pronoun (it, them), it goes between switch and off: switch it off. The mistake happens when switch off is learnt as a single verb and the pronoun is put after it, like any ordinary object. With a noun, both orders work: switch off the TV and switch the TV off.
A switch is the thing you flip on the wall, so switch off fits anything that works with a switch or a button. A tap is closed by turning it, so you need turn off: Turn off the tap while you brush your teeth. Turn off works for devices too, but switch off with a tap sounds odd.
Your turn
Halfway through the two-hour lecture, I ___ and started planning my weekend.
Show the answer
switched off — The person stopped listening to the lecture and started thinking about the weekend: switch off in the sense of “stop paying attention”. Switched on would mean the opposite: they became more alert.
Describe how you relax after a hard week. Say what you turn off and what helps you stop thinking about work.
On Friday evening I switch my laptop off and go for a long walk, which helps me switch off from work.
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