grammar - Why do we use "dried up" instead of just "dried"?



The creek has dried up.



In this example sentence, you should say "dried up." If you say just "dried," it sounds incomplete. Is this an example of an idiom or is there a grammatical rule governing this instance? If so, what is it?



Answer



In this case, "up" is used to express that something is "complete" or done "completely".


Examples:


At a restaurant. Don't fill up on bread, otherwise you'll have no appetite when the entré comes.


Re: driving


Did you fill up the gas tank? I got $20 worth. (= No. I only got some gas(oline)/(petrol)).


Grammar note:


This kind of verb is called a phrasal verb. Phrasal verbs are verbs that are 1 part verb + 1 or 2 parts preposition. The result is usually an idiomatic expression or some deviation from the base.


With the word(particle) "up", the meaning does not always mean "completely" but in this case it does.


So, I hope this answers your question, and I haven't "used up" all of your time.


Good luck


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