Transitive and Intransitive Verbs: How to identify?

Transitive and intransitive verbs for beginners (Examples, List)

Table of content

1. Transitive verb

2. Intransitive verb

3. Difference between transitive and intransitive verbs

4. Verbs that can function both transitively and intransitively (Ambitransitive verbs)

5. List of more transitive and intransitive verbs with examples

6. FAQs

Verbs are like the superheroes of a sentence, but did you know they come in different types? Two important types are transitive and intransitive verbs. Let's dive into what sets them apart in a fun and easy way!

Main Verb can be differentiated in two types.

1. Transitive verb - (requires an object)
2. Intransitive verb - (does not require an object)

1. Transitive verb

"Transitive verb" is a Verb which requires an object to complete the meaning of the sentence.

For example:

1. We saw a movie yesterday.
2. She made coffee in the morning.

In the above sentences “saw” and “made” verbs require objects to complete the meaning. Without the objects “movie” and “coffee” these sentences are incomplete.

What did we see yesterday? The answer is “Movie”

What did she make in the morning? The answer is “Coffee”

Here are some other examples of transitive verbs with explanations:

1. She bought a new car.

In this sentence, "bought" is the transitive verb. It requires an object to complete its meaning, which is "a new car." The action of buying is directed towards the direct object "a new car."

2. He ate the delicious pizza.

"Ate" is the transitive verb here. It requires an object to complete its meaning, which is "the delicious pizza." The action of eating is performed on the direct object "the delicious pizza."

3. They built a house last year.

"Built" is the transitive verb in this sentence. It requires an object to complete its meaning, which is "a house." The action of constructing is directed towards the direct object "a house."

4. She wrote a letter to her friend.

Here, "wrote" is the transitive verb. It requires an object to complete its meaning, which is "a letter to her friend." The action of writing is directed towards the direct object "a letter to her friend."

5. The chef prepared a delicious meal for the guests.

"Prepared" is the transitive verb in this sentence. It requires an object to complete its meaning, which is "a delicious meal for the guests." The action of preparing is directed towards the direct object "a delicious meal for the guests."

In summary, transitive verbs are verbs that require an object to complete their meaning. They express an action that is directed towards a recipient, which is the direct object.

2. Intransitive verb

Intransitive verb is a Verb which does not require an object to complete the meaning of the sentence.

For example:

1. She sang beautifully.
2. Baby cried.

In the above sentences “Sang” and “cried” verbs do not require objects to complete the meaning.

Here are some other examples of intransitive verbs with explanations:

1. He slept.

"Slept" is an intransitive verb. It does not require an object to complete its meaning. The verb "slept" stands alone and describes the action of sleeping without affecting any object.

2. He laughed loudly.

"Laughed" is an intransitive verb here. It does not require an object. The verb "laughed" describes the action of laughing without affecting any object. The adverb "loudly" provides additional information about how he laughed but does not change the transitivity of the verb.

3. The sun shines brightly.

"Shines" is an intransitive verb. It does not require an object to complete its meaning. The verb "shines" describes the action of emitting light without affecting any object.

4. They run every morning.

"Run" is an intransitive verb in this sentence. It does not require an object to complete its meaning. The verb "run" describes the action of running without affecting any object.

5. The flowers bloom in spring.

"Bloom" is an intransitive verb. It does not require an object to complete its meaning. The verb "bloom" describes the action of flowering without affecting any object.

In summary, intransitive verbs are verbs that do not require an object to complete their meaning. They describe actions or states that do not transfer to a direct object.

3. Difference between transitive and intransitive verbs

Spotting the Difference: The key difference between transitive and intransitive verbs is whether they require a direct object to complete their action. Transitive verbs always need a direct object, while intransitive verbs don't.

Transitive or Intransitive Verbs

In English some verbs can act both as transitive and intransitive depending on the context.

For example:

1. She sang a song. (Transitive)
2. She sang beautifully. (Intransitive)
3. I am reading a book. (Transitive)
4. I am reading. (Intransitive)

She sang beautifully transitive or intransitive

In above example singing (sang) is an action (verb). It can act both as transitive or intransitive. Here. we have to understand the situation in which the "verb" is used.
The sentence "She sang beautifully." is used in order to make a statement about her overall performance whether it is a song, poem or something else.

4. Verbs that can function both transitively and intransitively : (Ambitransitive verbs)

Verbs that can function both transitively and intransitively are called ambitransitive verbs. These verbs have the flexibility to take either a direct object (transitive) or not (intransitive) depending on the context.

Here are some examples along with explanations:

1. Run:

• Transitive: "She runs a marathon every year." (Here, "marathon" is the direct object.)
• Intransitive: "He runs quickly." (Here, "quickly" describes how he runs, but there's no direct object.)

2. Eat:

• Transitive: "She eats an apple every morning." (Here, "apple" is the direct object.)
• Intransitive: "He eats slowly." (Here, "slowly" describes how he eats, but there's no direct object.)

3. Open:

• Transitive: "She opens the door." (Here, "door" is the direct object.)
• Intransitive: "The store opens at 9 a.m." (Here, "at 9 a.m." provides information about when the store opens, but there's no direct object.)

4. Swim:

• Transitive: "She swims laps in the pool." (Here, "laps" is the direct object.)
• Intransitive: "He swims every day." (Here, "every day" describes how often he swims, but there's no direct object.)

5. Write:

• Transitive: "She writes novels." (Here, "novels" is the direct object.)
• Intransitive: "He writes well." (Here, "well" describes how he writes, but there's no direct object.)

6. Read:

• Transitive: "She reads a book every week." (Here, "book" is the direct object.)
• Intransitive: "He reads for pleasure." (Here, "for pleasure" provides the purpose of reading, but there's no direct object.)

7. Play:

• Transitive: "She plays the piano." (Here, "piano" is the direct object.)
• Intransitive: "He plays in the yard." (Here, "in the yard" provides information about where he plays, but there's no direct object.)

8. Sleep:

• Transitive: "She sleeps eight hours a night." (Here, "eight hours" is the direct object.)
• Intransitive: "He sleeps deeply." (No direct object; "sleep" indicates the action without affecting an object.)

9. Break:

• Transitive: He breaks the window. (Here, "the window" is the direct object.)
• Intransitive: The glass breaks easily. (Here, “easily” describes how the glass breaks, but there's no direct object.)

10. Walk:

• Transitive: She walks the dog. (Here, "the dog" is the direct object.)
• Intransitive: She walks every evening.

11. Close:

• Transitive: He closes the window. (Here, "the window" is the direct object.)
• Intransitive: The shop closes at 9 PM.

12. Sing:

• Transitive: She sings a song. (Here, "a song" is the direct object.)
• Intransitive: She sings beautifully. (Here, “beautifully” describes how She sings, but there's no direct object.)

13. Cook:

• Transitive: She cooks dinner. (Here, "dinner" is the direct object.)
• Intransitive: She cooks well. (Here, “well” describes how she cooks, but there's no direct object.)

14. Dance:

• Transitive: They dance the tango. (Here, "the tango" is the direct object.)
• Intransitive: She dances gracefully. (Here, “gracefully” describes how She dances, but there's no direct object.)

15. Build:

• Transitive: He builds a house. (Here, "a house" is the direct object.)
• Intransitive: The Company builds quickly. (Here, “quickly” describes how the company builds, but there's no direct object.)

16. Speak:

• Transitive: She speaks five languages. (Here, "five languages" is the direct object.)
• Intransitive: He speaks loudly. (Here, “loudly” describes how He speaks, but there's no direct object.)

17. Clean:

• Transitive: She cleans the room. (Here, "the room" is the direct object.)
• Intransitive: The room cleans easily. (Here, “easily” describes how the room cleans, but there's no direct object.)

18. Jump:

• Transitive: He jumps the fence. (Here, "the fence" is the direct object.)
• Intransitive: The cat jumps.

19. Drive:

• Transitive: He drives a car. (Here, "the car" is the direct object.)
• Intransitive: She drives carefully. (Here, “carefully” describes how She drives, but there's no direct object.)

20. Paint:

• Transitive: She paints a picture. (Here, "a picture" is the direct object.)
• Intransitive: The artist paints well. (Here, “well” describes how the artist paints, but there's no direct object.)

21. Learn:

• Transitive: He learns new skills. (Here, “new skills" is the direct object.)
• Intransitive: She learns quickly. (Here, “quickly” describes how She learns, but there's no direct object.)

In each example, the verb can function with or without a direct object, depending on the context of the sentence.

5. List of more transitive and intransitive verbs with examples:

Transitive Verbs:

1. Eat - She eats an apple every morning.
2. Drink - He drinks coffee with breakfast.
3. Drive - They drive a car to work.
4. Read - I read a book last night.
5. Write - She writes letters to her friends.
6. Kick - He kicked the ball across the field.
7. Love - They love their pets dearly.
8. Build - The construction workers build houses.
9. Cook - She cooks dinner for her family.
10. Paint - He painted the walls blue.
11. Carry - She carries groceries from the store.
12. Play - They play tennis on weekends.
13. Open - He opened the door for his guests.
14. Watch - She watches movies on Fridays.
15. Send - They send emails to their colleagues.
16. Bring - He brings flowers for his mother.
17. Teach - She teaches English to children.
18. Buy - They bought a new television.
19. Sing - He sang a song at the concert.
20. Complete - She completes her assignments on time.

Intransitive Verbs:

1. Run - He runs every morning for exercise.
2. Sleep - They sleep peacefully through the night.
3. Laugh - She laughs at his jokes.
4. Cry - He cries when he's sad.
5. Jump - The dog jumps over the fence.
6. Arrive - They arrived at the station early.
7. Depart - The train departs at 9:00.
8. Exist - Happiness exists within everyone.
9. Occur - Accidents occur unexpectedly.
10. Sit - She sits quietly in the library.
11. Stand - He stands waiting for the bus.
12. Lie - The cat lies lazily in the sun.
13. Appear - Stars appear in the night sky.
14. Disappear - The magician made the rabbit disappear.
15. Wait - They wait patiently for their turn.
16. Move - The clouds move across the sky.
17. Travel - They love to travel during the holidays.
18. Relax - She relaxes by reading novels.
19. Work - He works hard to achieve his goals.
20. Dance - They danced all night at the party.

These examples demonstrate the usage of both transitive and intransitive verbs in sentences.

Transitive and Intransitive Verbs FAQs

1. What is a transitive verb?

A transitive verb is a verb that requires one or more objects to complete its meaning. It acts on a direct object, answering the question "what?" or "whom?" Example: "She wrote a letter" (wrote what? a letter).

2. What is an intransitive verb?

An intransitive verb is a verb that does not require a direct object to complete its meaning. It does not act on anything and answers questions like "how?" "when?" or "where?" Example: "She sleeps" (sleeps how? peacefully).

3. Can a verb be both transitive and intransitive?

Yes, some verbs can function as both transitive and intransitive depending on the context. Example: "She runs a business" (transitive) vs. "She runs every morning" (intransitive).

4. How can you identify a transitive verb in a sentence?

You can identify a transitive verb by looking for a direct object that receives the action of the verb. Ask "what?" or "whom?" after the verb. Example: "He read the book" (read what? the book).

5. How can you identify an intransitive verb in a sentence?

An intransitive verb does not have a direct object. It often stands alone or is followed by an adverb or a prepositional phrase. Example: "He laughed loudly" (laughed how? loudly).

6. What happens if a transitive verb does not have a direct object?

If a transitive verb does not have a direct object, the sentence may be incomplete or grammatically incorrect. Example: "She wrote" (wrote what?).

7. Can you provide examples of common transitive verbs?

Common transitive verbs include "eat," "make," "see," "want," "love," and "bring." Examples: "She eats an apple," "He made a cake," "I see the car."

8. Can you provide examples of common intransitive verbs?

Common intransitive verbs include "arrive," "sleep," "go," "laugh," "cry," and "fall." Examples: "She arrived," "He sleeps," "They go."

9. How do linking verbs fit into the transitive/intransitive distinction?

Linking verbs, such as "is," "seem," and "become," are neither transitive nor intransitive because they do not express action but rather connect the subject to additional information. Example: "She is happy."

10. How can I practice distinguishing between transitive and intransitive verbs?

Practice by reading sentences and identifying the verbs and their objects. Create sentences using known transitive and intransitive verbs and ask someone to review them. Example exercises: "Find the verb and object: 'She reads a book.' Identify the verb type: 'They swim in the pool.'"