bus sets off

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "bus sets off" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe the moment when a bus begins its journey or departs from a location. Example: "The bus sets off from the station at 8 AM sharp, so make sure to arrive early."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Formal & Business

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

60 human-written examples

The bus set off sometime in June.

The New Yorker

Etan, 6, disappeared on the way to catch a school bus, setting off a search lasting decades.

The New York Times

The attack on the bus set off days of cross-border fighting between Israel and Gaza during which 19 Palestinians were killed, several of them civilians.

The New York Times

Rain was falling in blinding sheets when the white tour bus set off from Temple, a university and industrial town 120 miles from Dallas.

The New York Times

Then the bus set off, making considerable effort, if not considerable speed, as it crawled its way to the top of the mountain and let us off in White Haven, elevation 1,200 feet.

The New York Times

I could see her point the moment the bus set off with a lurch because the front wheels of the chair came off the ground, and so we jerked our way into town.

The Guardian

In one of the deadliest incidents, a suicide bomber who had climbed aboard a yellow American-made school bus set off his explosives at a checkpoint near the Kadimain shrine in northern Baghdad, killing at least 5 Iraqis and wounding 46.

The New York Times

"I feel like a baby that has been given a new toy," said Akhmad Alfarhan, a 23-year-old from Damascus travelling with a group of friends just before his bus set off. "I will learn German and then I can go back to college and finish training as a dentist," said 20-year-old Sara Mardini, grinning widely.

The Guardian

We had sensed some reluctance from UKIP head office to engage with Panorama, so we were delighted when the bus set off with one of the candidates on board.

BBC

When their bus set off for the stadium, they were still unaware of the starting XI. "Bob told us the team when we got to the ground," says Kennedy. "It was a shock to be included and I probably wasn't fully prepared mentally.

BBC

The "abortion pill bus" set off from capital city Dublin on Friday morning, crossing the country to reach the cities of Galway and Limerick the same day.

Vice

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "bus sets off" to clearly indicate the moment a bus starts its journey, especially when you want to create a sense of immediacy or action in your writing.

Common error

Avoid using unnecessary adverbs or phrases that reiterate the idea of starting, such as "the bus sets off immediately", as the verb already implies the commencement of a journey.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "bus sets off" functions as a verb phrase indicating the commencement of a journey. Ludwig confirms that the phrase is correct and usable in written English, describing the moment a bus begins its travel.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

70%

Academia

15%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Wiki

3%

Science

1%

Encyclopedias

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "bus sets off" is a grammatically sound and frequently used expression to describe the beginning of a bus's journey. According to Ludwig, the phrase is correct in written English. Its versatility allows it to be used in various contexts, from news reports to casual narratives, with the primary function of indicating the departure of a bus. While other alternatives exist, such as "bus departs" or "bus leaves", the choice depends on the desired level of formality and emphasis. Therefore, writers can confidently use "bus sets off" in their work, bearing in mind its neutral register and clear communicative purpose.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

bus departs

Replaces "sets off" with a single, more formal verb.

bus leaves

A simpler and more common alternative using a different verb.

bus begins its journey

More descriptive and emphasizes the start of a trip.

bus commences its route

Formal alternative emphasizing the scheduled path.

bus starts out

Informal alternative indicating the beginning of the trip.

bus rolls out

More vivid and dynamic imagery of the bus starting.

bus pulls away

Describes the motion of leaving a station or stop.

bus gets underway

Formal alternative emphasizing the start of movement.

bus is departing

Continuous tense emphasizing an ongoing action.

bus is leaving

More common continuous tense alternative.

FAQs

What does "bus sets off" mean?

The phrase "bus sets off" means that a bus is beginning its journey or departing from a particular location.

What can I say instead of "bus sets off"?

You can use alternatives like "bus departs", "bus leaves", or "bus begins its journey" depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "the bus sets off"?

Yes, it is grammatically correct to say "the bus sets off". It is a common and acceptable phrase in English.

What's the difference between "bus sets off" and "bus departs"?

"Bus sets off" is slightly more informal and emphasizes the action of starting, while "bus departs" is more formal and simply indicates that the bus is leaving.