Transitive Verbs
Verbs that take objects
Transitive vs. Intransitive Verbs
| TRANSITIVE VERB | ||
|---|---|---|
A transitive verb is used with an object. In other words, a transitive verb takes a noun phrase (NP) as its complement. The 'agent' performs the action that is received by the animate or inanimate object. The meaning of a verb often differs when it has both transitive and intransitive forms. |
||
| S – O | DO | PP |
Jason studies |
English |
in the afternoons. |
Jason left |
his phone |
at home. |
Jason knocked |
his phone |
on the floor. |
Jason raises² |
his hand |
in the air. |
Jason set² |
his backpack |
on the floor. |
Jason laid² |
his jacket |
on his backpack. |
| INTRANSITIVE VERB | ||
|---|---|---|
An intransitive verb is not used with an object. That is, the verb does not take a noun phrase (NP) as its complement. It may take an adverb (ADV) or a prepositional phrase (PP) as its complement or as an adjunct. (A passive sentence cannot be formed.) |
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| S – O | DO | PP / ADV |
Jason studies |
all of the time |
|
Jason left |
|
at noon. |
Jason knocked |
|
on the door. |
Jason rises¹ |
with the sun. |
|
Jason sits¹ |
down for breakfast. |
|
Jason lies¹ |
on the sofa. |
|
left (v.) – 1) let something stay behind; 2) departed
knock (v.) – 1) accidently hit 2) make a sound with a closed hand against a door or wall
rise (v.) – 1) get up: rise, rose, risen 2) put something up: raise, raised, raised
sit (v.) – 1) sit, sat, sat; d) put something down: set, set, set; sit down – ("down" is a particle not a preposition)
lie (v.) – 1) recline: lie, lay, lain; 2) put something/ someone down: lay, laid, laid
Categories: NP –noun phrase; N – noun; VP – verb phrase; V – verb; Det – determiner; PP – prepositional phrase; P – preposition; AdvP – adverb phrase; Adv – adverb; AdjP– adjective phrase; Adj – adjective
Functions: Subject: Subject, Predicate: Predicator (V) Complement: elements required by the verb: object, indirect object, predicative complement Adjuncts: (optional modifiers) Adj, Adv
*Yellow highlighting indicates example of incorrect usage
See lie-lay, sit-set, rise-raise for paired transitive and intransitive meanings.
See Pop-Q "Study" for transitive/ intransitive meaning change.
See Never Passive for restating transitive/ intransitive as passive.
Transitive or Intransitive
Verbs with one form (not both)
Transitive Verbs
| INTRANSITIVE | TRANSITIVE |
|---|---|
*Sophie hugged. |
Verbs that require an object
adore |
bite† |
change |
hug |
kiss |
like |
love |
held |
monotransitive – includes a subject and an object – Jason hugged Sophie;
ditransitive – includes a subject, an indirect object, and an object – Jason gave Sophie a hug.
†bite – That dog bites." – a description of the dog's behavior; or in slang – "That bites." (is unfortunate)
Intransitive Verbs
| INTRANSITIVE | TRANSITIVE |
|---|---|
Jason agrees. |
*Jason agrees me. |
Verbs that do not take an object
agree |
appear |
arrive |
become |
belong |
collapse |
consist of |
cost |
depend |
die |
disappear |
emerge |
exist |
fall |
go |
happen |
have¹ |
inquire |
knock (sound) |
laugh |
lie (recline or tell untruth) |
live |
look |
last (endure) |
occur |
remain |
respond |
rise |
sit |
sleep |
stand |
stay |
swim |
vanish |
wake² |
wait |
¹Except: I was had. (slang) – someone
took advantage of me.
²awake (trans. and intransitive) – I awoke / I awoke her.
*Yellow highlighting indicates example of incorrect usage.
Transitive and Intransitive
Verbs with both forms
Intransitive Form – the Subject is the "Agent"
| INTRANSITIVE | TRANSITIVE |
|---|---|
answer |
ask |
clean |
dance |
eat |
explore |
finish |
|
give |
help |
hide |
hunt |
injure |
leave¹ |
read |
pass |
talk² |
text (send a text) |
see |
sing |
speak³ |
stand* |
steal |
teach |
telephone (someone) |
try |
wash |
woke up (awake) |
The above list mentions just a few of the many verbs that follow this pattern.
¹He left. (departed) He left me. (abandoned) He left his telephone. (forgot)
²He talked. (chatted) He talked politics./ sense with me. (discussed a subject). He talked me to sleep. (bored me)
³He spoke. He spoke the truth.
*He stood. (on his feet). He stood his teddy bear against the wall.
Intransitive Form – the Object is the "Agent"
| INTRANSITIVE | TRANSITIVE |
|---|---|
bake |
break |
boil |
burst |
cook |
cool |
crack |
form |
fly |
fry |
heal |
melt |
move |
sail |
shake |
sweep |
tear |
turn |
transform |
reverse |
ring |
run |
roll |
The passive form "The egg is cracked." suggests that there is no agent. (cracked – may be a verb or a modifier)
These are also called "dual-transitivity" verbs (CaGEL 216-7)
"Agent Unknown" see Get-Passives.
Also called "ambi-transitivity" or "ergative".
Other Intransitive Verbs
Copula & Static Verbs
Static Verbs with Intransitive and Transitive Forms
| INTRANSITIVE VERB |
|---|
The meaning of a static verb may be expressed as 'equals' or 'is'. No action is expressed. States of being, sensory states, and measurement states are followed by descriptors rather than "recipients" of actions. |
| COPULA VERBS |
The baby is tired. (static – describes the baby) The baby is hers. (static – specifies the baby) |
| SENSORY STATES |
The baby feels wet. |
| MENTAL STATES |
The baby is tired. I know. |
| POSSESSION STATES |
— |
The baby belongs here (adv) / to her (PP). |
| MEASUREMENT |
The baby weighs ten pounds(5 kg). (describes – baby = 10 lbs.)
|
| TRANSITIVE VERB |
|---|
In some cases a verb is be used as a static verb with one meaning and as a dynamic verb with another meaning. Only a dynamic verb can be a transitive verb, which has a subject ('doer'), a verb (action) and an object ('recipient'). |
| DYNAMIC VERB |
— none — |
| DYNAMIC VERB |
The mother felt the diaper to see if it was wet. |
| DYNAMIC VERB |
You know our doctor. |
| DYNAMIC VERB |
The baby has a bottle. *A bottle is had by the baby. |
—
|
| DYNAMIC VERB– different meaning |
The doctor weighed the baby. (The baby was weighed by the doctor.) The doctor weighed the baby who is ten pounds.
|
**Words marked with an asterisk and yellow highlighting are examples of incorrect usage.
Also see Describing vs. Specifying "be" and Never Passive.
In linguistic terms, a transitive verb has at least two 'arguments' – a subject and an object (monotransitive).
Static Verbs (stative verbs)
| STATES OF BEING | SENSORY STATES | MENTAL STATES | POSSESSION STATES | MEASUREMENT STATES |
|---|---|---|---|---|
See States of Being |
See Sensory States |
See Mental States |
||
be (am, is, are were, was) (intrans) |
feel (intrans/ trans) |
know, think, suppose, imagine, understand (intrans/ trans) |
have (trans) |
weigh (intrans/ trans) |
seem, appear, look (intrans) |
sound (intrans/ trans) |
forget, remember (intrans/ trans) |
own, hold title to (trans) |
equal. add up to (intrans) |
resemble, looks like (trans) |
taste (intrans/ trans) |
desire, *want / *need / (trans) |
belong (intrans) |
reach, measure (intrans/ trans) |
becomes (intrans/ trans) |
see (intrans/ trans) |
believe, feel (intrans/ trans) |
|
cost, owe (intrans/ trans) |
get (intrans/ trans) |
hear (intrans/ trans) |
recognize (trans) |
include, contain, (trans) |
Common Mistakes
Errors & Solutions
| ERROR | SOLUTION |
|---|---|
*He spoke me about that. |
He spoke about that. (Remove the indirect object.)
|
*She laid down for a few minutes. |
She lay down for a few minutes. (Use the correct past tense form for lie.)
|
Angela studies her lessons hard.
|
Angela studies a lot. (Follow studies with an adverb expressing intensity.) See Pop-Q "Study" |
Grammar Notes
Traditional Grammar and Linguistic Description
(Advanced)
| TRADITIONAL GRAMMAR | LINGUISTIC DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|
In traditional grammar, a verb is either transitive (takes an object), intransitive (does not take an object), or both. |
In current linguistic analysis, a verb can take (require / be followed by) a variety of words or structures. A verb's complementation depends on its meaning. A verb is "typed" according to its complementation (by what can follow it). (Swan 606) A transitive verb can be "monotransitive" having one direct object or "ditransitive" having two objects — direct and indirect. Other NP complements may be "complex intransitive" as shown below. (CaGEL 216-20, 244-51, 296-321) |
TRANSITIVE / INTRANSITIVE VERBS Jason answered. (intransitive use) / Jason answered me. (transitive use) Jason answered the question. (transitive use) He spoke the truth. (transitive use) He spoke to me about the matter. (intransitive use) He told me the truth. (transitive use) Thank you for your gift. (transitive use – "you" is the direct object; "for your gift" is a prep. phrase)
|
NP COMPLEMENTS (TRANSITIVE) Jason answered. (no complementation) / Jason answered me. (NP) Jason answered the question. (NP) He spoke the truth. (NP) He told the people the truth². (NP + NP) ditransitive Thank you for your gift. (NP + PP) monotransitive Buy vs. Thank Jason broke the egg. / The egg broke. (NP/ __j) dual-transitivity Jason looked up the problem. (particle + NP) Phrasal Verbs Jason considers you weak. (NP + Adj) complex-transitive Jason wants you to leave. (NP + infinitie) complex-transitive Verb + Obj + Infinitive Jason made me leave. (NP + plain form verb) complex-transitive Bare Form Infinitives Jason slammed the door shut. (NP + adjective) complex-transitive Adj Complements |
|
OTHER VERB COMPLEMENTATION (iNTRANSITIVE) He spoke to me about the matter. (PP + PP) Jason looked at the problem. (PP) Jason arrived at the station / here. (PP – place) Jason arrived in the morning / today. (PP – time) Jason looks nice. (AdjP) complex-intransitive States of Being Jason enjoys researching. (Gerund) intransitive Verb + Gerund Jason likes to research. (Infinitive) intransitive Verb + Infinitive
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TREE (click to enlarge)
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CATEGORIES: NP –noun phrase; N – noun; VP – verb phrase; V – verb; Det – determiner; PP – prepositional phrase; P – preposition; AdvP – adverb phrase; Adv – adverb; AdjP– adjective phrase; Adj – adjective
FUNCTIONS: Subject: Subject, Predicate: Predicator (V) Complements: (elements required by verb) Object, Indirect Object, Predicative Complement Adjuncts: (optional modifiers) Adj, Adv
Practice 1
A Visitor
- Select the response from the menu that best completes the sentence.
- Compare your response to the answer by clicking the "check" button.
Practice 2
My Morning Routine
Does the verb take a direct object?
- Is the verb intransitive, transitive, or both?
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Practice 3
Laptop Topper
Read for errors
I have a roommate with two cats. One of the cats that belongs him he likes to sleep on my computer. The cat lays down the top of the computer and purrs. She waits me until I come over and shoo her away. This amuses her because she wants to play.
However, this delays me because I have to work. I think the computer warms her so she likes. Unfortunately, she weighs too much and could crush my computer. I should put away my computer, but I need because I have to study my classes.
purr (v.) – sound a contented cat makes
shoo (v.) – make a sound to drive a cat, dog, bird away
Edit for errors
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