pulls off the freeway.../takes an exit ramp

[JamesBond13]

1. If I want to describe that Dan leaves the freeway he's driving on, would these two sentences be as natural as it gets?

- Dan pulls off the freeway onto an exit ramp.

- Dan takes an exit ramp off the freeway.

2. If we already know that Dan is driving on a freeway would one or both of these be OK and enough?

- Dan pulls off an exit ramp.

- Dan pulls onto an exit ramp.

 

[Roxxxannne]

It depends on the context.
If the point is just that he leaves the freeway, then
- Dan pulls off the freeway onto an exit ramp.
- Dan pulls onto an exit ramp.
are good, but they could imply that he stops when he gets onto the exit ramp.

If the specific exit is important, then
- Dan takes the Michigan Ave. exit (the exit takes the driver directly to Michigan Ave.)
- Dan takes the exit for I-295. (the exit merges into another highway).
- Dan takes the San Pablo exit (the exit leads to the town called San Pablo).
tell us where he's going; it's assumed that he's left the highway.

"Dan pulls off an exit ramp" sounds as though he was on the exit ramp and pulled the car over onto the grass or whatever is next to the exit itself.

 

[kentix]

...they could imply that he stops when he gets onto the exit ramp.

They probably do.

- Dan takes an exit ramp off the freeway.

This is your best choice of your options.

Or something like:

- Dan takes the next exit off the freeway.

We don't usually call it a ramp. It's just the exit.

 

[Rover_KE]

NOTE: AE ramp (in this context) = BE slip road