start vs start off

[mokbon]

Hello

Let's start with a breakfast
Let's start off with a breakfast


In this situation,
Does 'off' mean detach from something?

Then,
Does 'off' make feel you doing something after a breakfast?

[Rover_KE]

Let's start with a breakfast.
Let's start off with a breakfast.

Both of these sentences mean exactly the same. You can ignore off in this context.

Rover

[freezeframe]

You can find the definition of "start off" here:

start off - definition of start off by Macmillan Dictionary

[mokbon]

Thanks Rover KE, freezeframe

I still want to know the difference of those words.

Help me:D

[konungursvia]

Let's start with a breakfast.
Let's start off with a breakfast.

Both of these sentences mean exactly the same. You can ignore off in this context.

Rover

I suppose, but I feel they are somewhat different. If one starts, it may be that one has only done just that. Undertaken just the beginning of something.

But when we refer to starting off, it seems to me we are describing the beginning undertaken, and then implying a continuation.

Examples:

I started writing a novel yesterday. (I only wrote a few words, then stopped.)

I started off [writing a novel] with an epigraph quoting Shakespeare. (I then did some more writing, after that quotation.)

[freezeframe]

I suppose, but I feel they are somewhat different. If one starts, it may be that one has only done just that. Undertaken just the beginning of something.

But when we refer to starting off, it seems to me we are describing the beginning undertaken, and then implying a continuation.

Examples:

I started writing a novel yesterday. (I only wrote a few words, then stopped.)

I started off [writing a novel] with an epigraph quoting Shakespeare. (I then did some more writing, after that quotation.)

Your examples are a bit different. In the OP's sentences we have "start with" and "start off with". Your novel example is just "started", allowing you to create clearer contrast.

"I started with writing an epigraph"
"I started off with writing an epigraph" (I guess more emphasis on how exactly you started, but you could still have stopped before finishing it)

Seems pretty much the same. I guess one can discern some difference but for all (most?) practical purposes it's negligible.