“Answer to the phone” and “Answer the phone”

Question

If we want to use the verb answer, should we say: "answer to the phone" or "answer the phone"? How about other cases like answering (to) other things like someones question, query etc.

Answer 1

The verb answer is normally used either without any Complements, or with a Direct Object:

• "Yes", she answered. (no Complement)
• Answer the question. (with Direct Object, the question)
• I answered him. (with Direct Object him)
• Answer the phone. (with Direct Object phone)

When answer means to respond as in the sentences above, it does not take preposition phrases as Complements:

• *Answer to the question. (ungrammatical)
• *I answered to him. (ungrammatical when used with this meaning).
• *Answer to the phone. (ungrammatical)

Nouns cannot take Objects. For this reason when we use the noun "answer", we put the thing being answered in a preposition phrase with to:

• The answer to the question ...
• My answer to him ...

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^Note

^{There is another meaning of the verb answer, to take orders from, obey, and explain your actions to someone: (definition from Cambridge Dictionaries). When used with this meaning the verb answer takes a to-preposition phrase as a Complement:}

^{The Vice-Principal answers directly to the Principal.}