Certain sets of words in the English language tend to confuse people. I have found the following to be among them:
OFF / OFF OF
The word off is one of those small but versatile words that supports numerous meanings and can act as several parts of speech (in this case, as an adverb, preposition, adjective, or verb). What concerns us here is the misuse of the term off of as a substitute for the preposition off, which indicates physical separation or distance from a position of attachment or rest. Since the meaning of the preposition off includes the idea represented by the preposition of, the term off of is redundant and therefore grammatically incorrect. There is no need to “stutter on” and say off of when what you mean is simply off, so best to just stop there.
INCORRECT: The cat jumped off of the counter when I came into the kitchen.
CORRECT: The cat jumped off the counter when I came into the kitchen.
INCORRECT: You have to turn off of the main road to get to the store.
CORRECT: You have to turn off the main road to get to the store.
REMEMBER: When it comes to off of versus off, just keep it simple. One word is enough.
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