Verbs: Intransitive and Transitive
Verbs: Intransitive and Transitive
Verbs: Intransitive and Transitive
INTRANSITIVE VERBS
An intransitive verb does not have an object. You can use it without having to add any more
words to the sentence. Here are some examples of intransitive
verbs:
Something’s happening.
I’ll wait.
It doesn’t matter.
You can add other words to these sentences in order to show meanings such as time, place,
or manner, but these words do not have to be there for the sentence to make sense.
Other intransitive verbs include appear, come, go, smile, lie, and rise.
Intransitive verbs cannot be used in the passive.
! Don’t say ‘it was happened’ or ‘they were died’. Say it happened or they died.
TRANSITIVE VERBS
A transitive verb must have an object. Without the object, the sentence does not make sense.
The object of the verb is usually a noun, a noun phrase, or a pronoun. Here are some
examples of transitive verbs:
I wish she would stop smoking. OR I wish that she would stop smoking.
Other transitive verbs include make, use, need, thank, enjoy, keep, and carry.
The intransitive uses are very similar to the transitive ones, except that the object been left
out.
OTHER VERBS
Some verbs can be followed by an adjective or adjective phrase. Here are some examples of
these verbs: