Out-of-Phrases
Fixed expressions with 'out of': out of date, out of order, out of stock, out of work, out of the question. These phrases signal the absence or failure of something.
Out-of-Phrases in English
'Out of' functions as a two-word preposition in fixed phrases. These expressions consistently carry the meaning of absence, exhaustion, or non-function — something that should be present or working is not. The most common error in this group is replacing 'of' with 'from' ('out from date', 'out from order'), which is always incorrect. According to Cambridge exam item analysis, 'out of order', 'out of date', and 'out of stock' are among the highest-frequency out-of phrases tested at A2–B1 level.
Core Out-of-Phrases
out of order — Sorry, the lift is out of order. Take the stairs.
out of stock — That item is currently out of stock. We expect more next week.
out of work — He's been out of work for six months.
out of the question — A pay rise? That's completely out of the question.
No Article in Fixed Phrases
'Out of date', 'out of order', and 'out of stock' take no article — they are fixed predicative phrases. Compare: 'an out-of-date passport' (attributive, hyphenated) vs 'the passport is out of date' (predicative, no article, no hyphen).
Common Mistakes
✗ The vending machine is out from order. → ✓ The vending machine is out of order.
✗ That's out from the question. → ✓ That's out of the question.