The difference between "escape" and "escape from"?
Hi,

I searched quite a while online and didn't find anything valuable about the difference between "escape" and "escape from". Can I say "escape a difficult situation" or "escape from a difficult situation"? Also, when I'm talking about "fleeing a horrible place", e.g. North Korea, which one should I use? Thank you!So according to the Oxford Dictionary, http://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/escape_1
is it correct to say:
"escape" and "escape from" are interchangeable in terms of "getting away from a difficult situation", but the former also means "to avoid something unpleasant" while the latter lays emphasis on "to get away from a place or situation"?

Question

The difference between "escape" and "escape from"?
Hi,

I searched quite a while online and didn't find anything valuable about the difference between "escape" and "escape from".  Can I say "escape a difficult situation" or "escape from a difficult situation"? Also, when I'm talking about "fleeing a horrible place", e.g. North Korea, which one should I use? Thank you!So according to the Oxford Dictionary, http://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/escape_1
is it correct to say:
"escape" and "escape from" are interchangeable in terms of "getting away from a difficult situation", but the former also means "to avoid something unpleasant" while the latter lays emphasis on "to get away from a place or situation"?

Answer

A good English-English dictionary should be every student's best friends! Look: http://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/escape_1
According to The Oxford Dictionary, 'escape from' means to get away from a situation (which means existing situation) and 'escape sth' means to avoid a situation (that means the situation could exist or is very likely to happen but can be avoided).

Answer

I would generally use "escape from" if "escape" is used as a noun, and "escape..." if it's used as a verb. For example, as a noun: "He plotted his escape from North Korea." "The inmate made her escape from the prison cell during the night." As a verb: "He escaped responsibility by claiming insanity." "He escaped a difficult situation when he fled North Korea."