What Is a Compound Verb

In English grammar, a compound verb is made up of two or more words that function as a single verb. Conventionally, verb compounds are written as either one word (to housesit) or two hyphenated words (to water-proof). Also called a compound (or complex) predicate. Similarly, a compound verb can be a phrasal verb or a prepositional verb  that behaves either lexically or syntactically as a single verb. In such cases, a verb and its particle may be separated by other words (drop the essay off). This structure is now more commonly known as a multi-word verb. The term compound verb can also refer to a  lexical verb  along with its auxiliaries;  in traditional grammar, this is called a verb phrase. Examples (Definition #1) Television has, it would seem, an irresistible ability to brainwash and narcotize children, drawing them away from other, more worthwhile activities and influences.​  (David Buckingham, A Special Audience? Children and Television. A Companion to Television, ed. by Janet Wasko. Blackwell, 2006)After lunch Dos Passos and the Fitzgeralds, who had rented a scarlet touring car and chauffeur, househunted on Long Island.​  (Sally Cline, Zelda Fitzgerald: Her Voice in Paradise. Arcade, 2004) Examples (Definition #2) [Stella] broke off the engagement, and I got out the dinghy and rowed off.​  (P.G. Wodehouse, Rallying Around Old George)I look forward to an America which will not be afraid of grace and beauty.​  (President John Kennedy) Examples (Definition #3) And then I was playing over and under and through all of this, and the pianist and bass were playing somewhere else.​  (Miles Davis, Miles: The Autobiography, with Quincy Troupe. Simon Schuster, 1989)Although all three musicians had been playing earlier that night, they had not been together.(Erik Nisenson, Open Sky: Sonny Rollins and His World of Improvisation. Da Capo Press, 2000) Observation: Placement of Adverbs in Verb PhrasesAlthough most authorities squarely say that the best place for the adverb is in the midst of the verb phrase, many writers nevertheless harbor a misplaced aversion, probably because they confuse a split verb phrase with the split infinitive. H.W. Fowler explained long ago what writers still have problems understanding: When an adverb is to be used with [a compound] verb, its normal place is between the auxiliary (or sometimes the first auxiliary if there are two or more) and the rest. Not only is there no objection to thus splitting a compound verb..., but any other position for the adverb requires special justification (MEU1).​  (Bryan A. Garner, The Oxford Dictionary of American Usage and Style. Oxford University Press, 2000)