taking off, coming, going

[PelajarBaru]

Dear Teachers
1) Can you say "I'm taking off now." to mean I have to go. (after a meeting, or a class or a gathering)
2) Is it correct to say "Teacher, I'm coming to class tomorrow." or should it be 'going to class tomorrow?' If 'coming' is correct, why do you use 'coming' when you are actually going somewhere.

[Raymott]

Dear Teachers
1) Can you say "I'm taking off now." to mean I have to go. (after a meeting, or a class or a gathering)
2) Is it correct to say "Teacher, I'm coming to class tomorrow." or should it be 'going to class tomorrow?' If 'coming' is correct, why do you use 'coming' when you are actually going somewhere.

1. You can. "I'm heading off" is more common.
2. Yes you'd say "coming" - because you are placing yourself in position to the teacher who will also be in class; just as she would say "Are you coming to class tomorrow?"

If a friend said to you: "Are you coming to Joe's party?" it would mean he's going to it.
If he said "Are you going to Joe's party?", perhaps he isn't going, or hasn't decided yet.
So, coming and going can also refer to where you and the other person will be, as well as to where you both are now.

[David L.]

Let me clarify what Raymott has said:

If you walk towards me, then you are 'coming' to me.
If you are walking away, then you are 'going'.

Whether a person uses 'coming' or 'going' depends on where he is. He goes/is going to a place that is somewhere 'away', 'distant' from where he is at that moment.
Someone else comes/is coming from somewhere else, and is coming towards him, to where he is.

When you leave home, to walk to school, then you are going to school - going to the place where the school is.

If you are at school, then you would tell your teacher that you will also be coming to the school tomorrow, because you are both at the school.

If you met your teacher on the weekend somewhere, and you had not been at school on Friday because you were ill, the student could say:
"I will be going to school on Monday"
but it is more likely that he will say:
"I will be coming to school on Monday', because he means, 'I will be coming to your class in school' - 'I will be coming to where you will be on Monday - your classroom'.

If you are at school and feel ill, then you are going home, because 'home' is 'away from the school'