Great question! All three phrasal verbs can mean "to start," but they have different nuances and typical uses. Here’s how they differ: Set about → Start a task actively (+ noun/-ing verb). Example: She set about cleaning the house. Set off → Start a journey or trigger something (no -ing verb). Example: They set off on their trip. Set down to → Start working seriously (+ noun/-ing verb). Example: He set down to studying. Key difference: Set about = taking action, Set off = traveling/causing something, Set down to = focusing on work. 😊

Here’s a breakdown of the differences: 1. Set about – Means to start doing something, especially in an energetic or determined way. * ✅ Used with -ing verbs (gerunds). * Example: "She set about cleaning the house." 2. Set off – Can mean to start a journey or trip, or to start a chain reaction. * ✅ Used with nouns or directly (without "to"). * Example: "We set off early in the morning." * Example: "His comment set off a heated debate." 3. Set down to – Means to start working on something seriously. * ✅ Followed by a noun or -ing form. * Example: "He set down to writing his report." * ✅ Less common and more formal than "set about." Summary: * Set about → Starting a task or activity (focused on action). * Set off → Starting a journey or triggering something. * Set down to → Starting work seriously and with focus (more formal).

1. Set about (doing something) Meaning: To start doing something, especially something difficult or needing effort. Grammar: Followed by a verb ending in -ing. Example: She set about cleaning the house. (= She started cleaning the house.) Use: Often used when someone starts a task or job. 2. Set off (on something) Meaning: To start a journey or trip. Grammar: Often used with “on” + noun (e.g., on a trip, on a journey), or by itself. Example: They set off at dawn. (= They started their journey at dawn.) Use: Mostly for movement or travel – not for general tasks or work. 3. Set down to (something) or (do something) Meaning: To start doing something seriously or with focus. Grammar: Set down to noun → He set down to work. Set down to do something → He set down to write his report. Example: She set down to study for the exam. (= She started studying with focus.) Use: Used when someone sits and begins working, especially something serious or requiring concentration.

The most likely place I'll hear "set about" is on the topic of fighting. If a man or dog sets about someone, it means they are coming at them, about to deal with them. Similar to "tackle" which also has a fighting meaning as much as a non-fighting task-oriented meaning. When setting about someone or something, you're literally setting yourself on a course concerned with / dealing with them. The main place I'll hear "set off" is when someone is leaving, to begin a journey, they will "set off" when they are going on their way, beginning their journey. Literally, they are getting off of their current spot, and moving towards their destination. As for "set down to", I don't recall ever hearing this before. But "get down to" is quite common and has a similar meaning to those discussed above.

Since "set" can be used in so many ways, the best place to start, I think, is by thinking about what all of its uses have in common. "Set" always indicates some action, usually but not always intentional, caused by something. It is forceful and definitive. Here are some examples: "Billy set the cat on the table" means Billy placed the cat there "Billy set the house ablaze" means Billy's actions caused the house to burn "Linda's sweet smile set Billy to thinking about marriage" means her smile did the trick I cannot pin down the meaning of a phrasal verb like "set off" because it can mean too many things. Here are some examples: a - "Billy set off to Boston" means he (definitively) started moving towards Boston b - "Billy set off a fire" means his actions caused a fire to start c - "Sally's obnoxious behavior set off her father" means she caused him to lose his temper d - "Bob set off the Emily Dickinson quote by placing it in italics" means he put it in italics e - "Placing the President's speech between two singers set it off from the other speeches" means it gave his speech more attention f - "Louise's grocery store lost a lot of money in May but those losses were set off by gains in April" ...and so forth. There is no end to it. Rather than trying to remember a list of possible meanings for "set off", I think it makes more sense to think about the two things that all of these meanings have in common: (1) something "sets" something else. In other words, there is causation. (2) the action that causes always displaces something "off" of (or away from) something How (1) and (2) occur will NOT always be obvious. You are in the realm here of poetic metaphor. You will have to use your imagination to see how (1) and (2) come into play. For example, when you "set off the Emily Dickinson quote", you push it away from the rest of the text.