" Such faulty expressions are very common among school
children, and should be promptly checked by the teacher. The off is
superfluous.
"He jumped off of the boat." Say, "He jumped off the boat."
The young lady appointed to sell articles at a church fair entreated
her friends to "buy something off of me." She should say, "Please buy
something from me," or "Make your purchases at my table."
For to see
"But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment?"
Matt. xi, 8. "I will try for to do what you wish." This form of
expression, once very common, is now obsolete. Omit for.
Appreciate highly
To appreciate is to set a full value upon a thing. We may value
highly, or prize highly, or esteem highly, but the word highly when
used with appreciate is superfluous.
Ascend up
"With great difficulty they ascended up the hill." As they could not
ascend down the hill it is evident that the word up is superfluous.
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Been to
"Where has he been to?" The sentence is not only more concise, but
more elegant without the terminal to.
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