Essential combinations

Sometimes this combination is essential to the use of the verb So, for example, the verb listen (which can occur on its own in e g Listen') must be followed by to when it has an object We spent the afternoon listening to records Non-essential combinations

Sometimes the combination is not essential but reinforces the meaning of a verb So, for example, the verb drink, in Drink your milk' can be reinforced by up to suggest 'finish drinking it' or 'drink it all' Drink up your milk' Or Drink your milk up' [> 8.28] Idiomatic combinations

Sometimes the primary meaning of a verb is completely changed

Verb + preposition/particle

when it combines with a preposition or particle a new verb is formed, which may have a totally different idiomatic meaning, or even several meanings For example, there are numerous combinations with make make for (a place) (= go towards), make off (= run away), make up (= invent), etc See examples in 8.23.2

The use of phrasal verbs in English

There is a strong tendency (especially in informal, idiomatic English) to use phrasal verbs instead of their one-word equivalents It would be very unusual, for instance, to say Enter' instead of Come in' in response to a knock at the door Similarly, blow up might be preferred to explode, give in to surrender, etc Moreover, new combinations (or new meanings for existing ones) are constantly evolving Share prices bottomed out (= reached their lowest level) in 1974 The book took off (= became successful) as soon as it appeared