Grammar question: People use drugs to escape (from) reality

[hereinchina]

Hello,
I'm not sure if I should say "escape" or "escape from". Are all four of the following sentences grammatically correct?
1. People use drugs because they want to "escape" reality.
2. People use drugs because they want to "escape from" reality.
3. I moved to the country to "escape" the concrete jungle.
4. I moved to the country to "escape from" the concrete jungle.

[PaulV]

Escape can be used as either a transitive or intransitive verb. The dictionary indicates that when used to mean getting away or slipping away from some sort of confinement or restraint, the intransitive form is used. When used to indicate getting away from some sort of pursuer, such as the police, the transitive form should be used.

[fluffyhamster]

Ultimately it doesn't make much sense to worry about whether a preposition is obligatory or not when the noun that it heads (the P + N together make a prepositional phrase), which would be just an object rather than part of a prepositional phrase if the preposition were absent, can itself also be omitted: Some people use drugs because they want to "escape" ((from) reality).

You'd be far better IMHO concerning yourself with those verbs that are 100% transitive (and therefore definitely require objects). For example, 'evade' will always be marked as transitive in any dictionary you care to look in:

*He evaded.
He evaded | the police. (V + O)
*He evaded | from the police. (V + prepositional/preposition-led phrase rather than an object (note however that a prepositional phrase can postmodify an object - see example after next below)).

He evaded | the question.
He evaded | the question from the Shadow Chancellor. (V + N modified by prepositional phrase).
He evaded | the Shadow Chancellor('s question).
*He evaded | from the Shadow Chancellor.

[hereinchina]

Hello,
I appreciate your answers.
Have a great day.