Hi,
Could you please tell me the difference between off and out?

for example;

she took off/out some magazine from the magazine rack.

Thanks.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: soguksu,

Of course, you could just say She took some magazines from the magazine rack.

And I think I would say took some magazines off/out OF the rack.

But whether to use off or out would depend on the shape of the rack, I think.

In the States, libraries often have magazine racks in which the current issue is displayed in an upright position. If you want to get old issues, you lift this rack and there is a shelf under/behind it, with the magazines lying down on a shelf.

I think I would say I take it off the rack if I take it from the current issue in front. If I take it from inside, I might say out.

But again, you can avoid the issue altogether by just saying you take it from the rack.

Okaasan is correct.

For this particular phrasal verb, it is possible to distinguish between 'off' and 'out' just as she did.

In fact, the particles 'off' and 'out' are added to many verbs, making another special meaning for each two-word phrase.

So, it's necessary to know the meaning of each verb + particle (little word) combination separately.

As for the definitions of 'off' and 'out' -- well, take a look at these two entries from the LDOCE:

http://www.ldoceonline.com/search/?q=off

http://www.ldoceonline.com/search/?q=out