This construction expresses change of state events, either a change of category (e.g. convert, turn) or a change in value (e.g. increase, reduce). Note that in the case of 'keep', the verb lexicalises the absence of change.

Rejuvenation restore E.g. It's not a happiness pill, it just restores you to to some sort of normality. Commutation commute E.g. The Head of State commuted the sentences to 15 years' imprisonment. Cause_change_of_position_on_a_scale decrease E.g. Both mutants decrease transcription of the reporter gene to approximately 50% of the non-mutated, wild type DNA values. demote E.g. It would have the effect of demoting physics to a branch of psychology. drop E.g. To help them I dropped the touring commission to 10 per cent. increase E.g. You can increase the abdominal repetitions to any number you like as long as 3 sets are performed. keep E.g. That way you will keep stress to a minimum. lower E.g. Kattina lowered her voice to a whisper. promote E.g. None raise E.g. Such zoning can raise the price of land to as much as 40 per cent of the cost of a house. reduce E.g. Beware of snow showers, because they can reduce visibility to a few yards, making a safe landing impossible. swell E.g. These three wars will swell the national debts to the amount of 170 millions. cut down E.g. By sticking to just one biscuit instead of four Nicky could cut the total calories down to 1,850. Cause_change change E.g. He failed the end of year exams after the first year and changed his subject to sociology. convert E.g. The firm has also brazenly converted redundant pubs to café-bar concepts. turn E.g. The sound turned my blood to ice. abbreviate E.g. I hope my classicist friends will forgive me if I abbreviate mimeme to meme. narrow down E.g. I narrowed the possibilities down to five. shorten E.g. My parents call me Bunny and shorten it to B. whittle down E.g. I have whittled my own shortlist down to four models. Lexical items without a frame: elevate E.g. In 1924 he began a programme of sponsorship aimed at elevating the Persian rug industry to levels of excellence that had not been seen since the Golden Age of the 16th and 17th centuries. relegate E.g. He had relegated the match to part of a bigger event. turn over E.g. Thousands of farmers have turned over good irrigated land to tree farming. upgrade E.g. The university upgraded her job to dean of admissions in 1986. round off round up round down