This is much simpler than it seems. Just remember that 'out (of)' is the opposite of 'in (to)': You are in your apartment. If the fire alarm sounds, you get out of your apartment. The bird is in the cage. If it escapes, it has managed to get out of the cage. You are wandering round a maze. If you solve the puzzle, you get out of the maze. The prisoner is in prison. At the end of his sentence, he gets out of prison. Figuratively, you can say that you are in trouble. You want to find a way to get out of trouble. You can't use 'off' for any of those sentence. 'Off' would make no sense. If you are 'in' somewhere ( a house, a building) you need to 'get out'. Likewise, 'off' is the opposite of 'on': The student is on the table. The teacher tells him to get off the table. As for transport, remember the same rule applies. On/off or into/out of. Large means of public transport: Get on the plane/Get off the plane Get on the bus/Get off the bus Get on the train/Get off the train Smaller vehicles: Get in the car/Get out of the car Get in the taxi/Get out of the taxi Things that you ride 'on': Get on the bike/Get off the bike Get on the horse/Get off the horse Not so complicated is it? In/out On/off That's all you need to remember.

Kurt & GregS are correct ("in/out" vs. "on/off") and it's good advice to avoid "get off" except when talking about a bus, train, airplane, boat, etc. Be careful, "get out" requires "of" after it, while it's optional after "get off": - Please get out of the car. <= never "get out the car" - Please get off the bus. == Please get off of the bus. - That man won't get out of my way. <= never "get out my way" - Please get off Facebook. == Please get off of Facebook.

Perhaps maybe I can make this easier -- don't use 'get off' as in starting, only in physically getting off-of something. You could instead use 'set off' to indicate the start of a trip, "We set off on our trip to Europe." But even this is used infrequently ('started' is enough.) So questions (1) and (2), yes, use 'get out' but in (3) the student must physically get off-of something so 'get off' is perfect. Also note 'get off' is slang for liking something but this usually implies something improper or sexual, "He really gets off on music videos."

Hi Yevgenia.<<1)Can I get out of my apartment? or get off?>> Generally, you won't do either. You will normally "leave your apartment" or "go out of your apartment". If you have to "get out of your apartment", it implies a difficult situation. "I can't get out of my apartment! There's something blocking the door!" "There's a fire in the building! I have to get out right now!" "Get your filthy dog out of my apartment right now!"<<2)If a bird escaped from the cage...Did it get out? Or can i say "it got off" ?>> It got out. Similarly, if someone escapes from prison, or finishes their term in prison, they "get out of prison". <<3) If student sits on the table in the classroom teacher can tell him: get off the table! I suppose "get out" can not be used in this context...Am I right?>> Yes, exactly, because in this case, he is "on the table". If he were somehow sitting inside the drawers of the table, you might tell him "Get out of the table!" Also, be careful with the phrasal verb "get off", because it can have a sexual connotation. If you say "I'm just getting him off the table" it's okay, but if you say "I'm just getting him off," people might start to laugh. Have a good day.