Transitive and intransitive verbs from "summary" of The parts of speech. Section I. A, Nouns, adjectives and articles. B, Pronouns and numerals. Section II, The verb and the particles by Hendrik Poutsma
Transitive verbs are those that require an object to complete their meaning. For example, in the sentence "She ate the apple," the verb "ate" is transitive because it requires the object "the apple" to make sense. Without the object, the sentence would be incomplete.
Intransitive verbs, on the other hand, do not require an object to complete their meaning. They express a complete thought on their own. For example, in the sentence "He sleeps," the verb "sleeps" is intransitive because it does not require an object to make sense. The sentence is complete without any additional words.
It is important to remember that a verb can be transitive in one sentence and intransitive in another, depending on the context. For example, the verb "read" can be transitive in the sentence "She read the book" and intransitive in the sentence "He reads every day."
Transitive verbs often have a direct object, which is the noun or pronoun that receives the action of the verb. In the sentence "They built a house," the verb "built" is transitive, and "a house" is the direct object. The direct object answers the question "what" or "whom" after the verb.
Intransitive verbs, on the other hand, do not have a direct object. They express an action that does not transfer to another noun or pronoun. Instead, intransitive verbs may be followed by adverbs or prepositional phrases that provide additional information about the action.
Understanding the difference between transitive and intransitive verbs is essential for constructing grammatically correct sentences. By recognizing whether a verb requires an object or not, writers can ensure that their sentences are clear and coherent. Additionally, knowing how to identify direct objects can help writers avoid common mistakes in sentence structure.
