Look out of the window/look out the window

Y

yoku

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Latvija
latviešu valoda
I should say hello!

Is there any difference between these two phrases?
In the book I am trying to read at the moment I keep noticing usage of the second variant (without "of") but in my dictionary there are examples only with the first phrase (with "of").

Thanks in advance!
 
    • Without the "of" would be heard frequently in conversation. In my mind, use of the "of" would be more formal and more likely to be seen in writing. And, yes, they mean the same thing.
     
    I thoroughly dislike the common habit of omitting the "of" in expressions such as this, but I accept it is common and not considered erroneous. (I cringe when I read it in newspapers and similar publications, however.)
     
    El escoces said:
    I thoroughly dislike the common habit of omitting the "of" in expressions such as this, but I accept it is common and not considered erroneous. (I cringe when I read it in newspapers and similar publications, however.)
    Click to expand...

    I couldn't agree more. This is why I always specify the use of "of" in writing, at the very least.
     
    Hard to say, yoku - these things tend to creep up on you, but I'd say it's fairly recent. You can't go wrong by playing safe and always including "of".
     
    El escoces said:
    Hard to say, yoku - these things tend to creep up on you, but I'd say it's fairly recent. You can't go wrong by playing safe and always including "of".
    Click to expand...

    I think you'll find it's been around for quite some time, I would say 40 years at least. However, I agree with the other foreros that, at least in writing, the 'of' should not be omitted.
     
    << --- threads merged here --- >>

    Hi, everybody!

    My question is about the following sentence taken from Blue Grammar Book:

    Correct: You may look out the window.
    Incorrect: You may look out of the window.

    I have always used and seen "to look out of" in that context.
    But the book says the opposite. I'm confused. Please, help me.

    Thanks in advance

    <<< ----------- See Rule#1 ----------- >>>
     
    Last edited by a moderator:
    I will answer for British English.

    You may look out the window. :cross:

    You may look out of the window. :tick:

    Let's see if it is different in AE.

    Google ngram AE: look out the,look out of the
    https://books.google.com/ngrams/gra...t1;,look out the;,c0;.t1;,look out of the;,c0

    You can see that things changed dramatically around the 1960s. Before that "look out of the" was used most often. After that time 'look out the' has taken over.

    Does your book teach AE or BE?
     
    Last edited by a moderator:
    [This post and the following ones, have been added to a previous thread in which the same question was asked. Please read down from the top. DonnyB - moderator.]

    Hi,

    I was trying to describe a picture to my students. It's from The Cat in the Hat. (Here's one picture.)

    In one picture, a boy and a girl sitting at home in front of the window, they can't go out to play because it's raining, I said:

    They look out the window.

    I wonder if it's correct to say so.

    Thanks a lot
     
    Last edited by a moderator:
    But, can one say "look out through the window"?

    Edited:

    I think AE speakers say "Look out the window", while BE "look out of the window".
     
    Last edited by a moderator:
    You can ‘look out (of) the window’ or ‘look through a window’ but to ‘look out through a window’ is repetition of the action. I have heard people use it, but I wouldn’t.
     
    In strictly grammatical terms, since out is an adverb and makes perfect sense in the phrase "out the window" is correct, really. I am looking through the window is reasonable, idiomatic, and correct. Somehow, though, as an US/American English speaker is feels wrong--somehow harsh and plebeian--not to use the preposition of. So, my rational answer is out the window is correct, but I will never say it! Call me irrational and a snob, and I will agree with you!
     
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