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Can I use drop to say I will leave something somewhere?

  • I will drop the books at your house.
  • I will drop off the books at your house?
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I think this question would fare much better at the sister site for English Language Learners. You can read more about the differences between the two sites here. – J.R. Mar 16 at 10:49

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You can use either form, but to my (native American English) ear, the second form would normally be written "I will drop the books off at your house." Both are equally good and common. If, however, the object of the verb were a pronoun (e.g., "I will drop them"), then you would be somewhat more likely to use the form with the adverb (e.g., "I will drop them off at your house."), although "I will drop them at your house" could also be used, if somewhat more informally.

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Off is no preposition when you drop things off somewhere. It’s only a preposition when you drop things off the edge of the table. – tchrist Mar 16 at 15:39
You're right! It's an adverb. Fixing my comment to reflect same. – jbeldock Mar 16 at 15:43

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