When it comes to verbs, we often hear about action words and how they describe what someone or something is doing. But have you ever wondered why some verbs need an object while others do not? Well, it all comes down to transitive and intransitive verbs! Transitive verbs require an object to complete their meaning, while intransitive verbs do not. Understanding the difference between these two types of verbs can greatly improve your English language skills. So, let’s explore the difference between them and how they work in sentences with examples.
What is a transitive verb?
A transitive verb is a type of verb that requires a direct object to complete its meaning in a sentence. In other words, it transfers the action from the subject to a direct object. Direct object can be either a noun, pronoun, or a noun phrase that directly receives the action from the subject. Without a direct object, the sentence may feel incomplete or unclear.
Transitive Verbs = Verb + Object
For example, in the sentence “She eats an apple,” the word “eats” is a transitive verb. It’s the action, and “an apple” is the object that receives the action. You can ask, “She eats what?” The answer is “an apple.”
Here is another example to make it clear:
She wrote (verb) a letter (object).
In this sentence, the verb “wrote” is transitive as it requires a direct object, “a letter,” to specify what was written. The verb “wrote” needs the direct object “a letter” to make sense. Without a direct object (a letter), the sentence would be unclear or incomplete, and the meaning of the action wouldn’t be fully conveyed.
Some other example sentences:
- I love chocolate.
- He wrote a letter.
- They built a house.
- They watched the movie.
- She painted a beautiful picture.
In these examples, “love,” “wrote,” “built,” “watched,” and “painted” are the transitive verbs. They can’t stand alone; they rely on something to complete the action: “chocolate,” “a letter,” “a house,” “the movie,” and “a beautiful picture” are the receivers of the action.
Prepositions or adverbs cannot follow transitive verbs, they must be followed by a direct object. A transitive verb (direct object) often answers the question of “what” or “whom”. For example:
- He reads a book. (Reads what? A book.)
- She hugged her friend. (Hugged whom? Her Friend.)
- She bakes a cake. (Bakes what? A cake.)
There can be two objects in a sentence (direct and indirect), and an indirect object answers the question of to whom or for whom. If an action verb takes both direct and indirect objects it will be called a ditransitive verb. For example,
He sent an email to his boss.
An action (sent) transfers from the subject (he) to the direct object (An email) and indirect object (his boss). (Here, the Direct object answers the question of what he sent? and the Indirect object of to whom he sent an email.
A transitive verb cannot stand alone without an object. For example,
- He opened.
(Here opened is a transitive verb and without an object, this word cannot function, for example, you might be thinking, he opened what? So he opened is a transitive verb that demands an object (the door) to complete its meaning
- I opened the door.
(Here the object (the door) appears in the sentence to receive an action and now it makes complete sense)
Transitive Verbs Example Sentences:
- She reads a book.
- They eat pizza for dinner.
- He paints a beautiful picture.
- We watch a movie on the weekend.
- He fixes his bicycle.
- I bought a new shirt.
- They visit the zoo on Saturdays.
- Mom makes a tasty sandwich.
- We plant flowers in the garden.
- The teacher explains the lesson.
- They open the gift with excitement.
- She answers the phone.
- She reads the newspaper in the morning.
- We clean the dishes after dinner.
- I write my homework in my notebook.
- They water the plants in the garden.
- She watches the birds in the park.
List of Transitive Verbs:
- Eat
- Read
- Write
- Kick
- Love
- Paint
- Build
- Throw
- Watch
- Cook
- Clean
- Drive
- Teach
- Complete
- Sing
- Explain
- Understand
- Call
- Help
- Pass
- Finish
- Describe
- Carry
- Play
- Send
- Open
- Close
- Break
What is an intransitive verb?
Intransitive verbs are a bit different. They are action words that do not require a direct object to make sense. They can stand alone in a sentence and convey a complete thought on their own. Intransitive verbs don’t transfer the action to something or someone else; they are self-sufficient. An adverb and a prepositional phrase usually follow intransitive verbs. They don’t answer the question of what or whom. An intransitive verb only tells what the subject is doing and it doesn’t transfer an action from subject to object.
Intransitive Verbs = Verb (no object)
For example, in the sentence “He sings,” the word “sings” is an intransitive verb. There’s no object in the sentence, and you can’t ask, “Sings what?” It simply means he is singing, without specifying what he is singing.
Here are some other examples:
- She laughs. (No object, it simply means she is laughing.)
- They arrived. (No object, it means they reached their destination.)
- The baby sleeps. (No object, it means the baby is sleeping.)
Intransitive verbs often answer questions like, “how,” “when,” or “where.”
- She slept (How did she sleep? Peacefully.)
- They arrived (When did they arrive? Yesterday)
- The leaves fall in the autumn. (When do the leaves fall? In the autumn)
They cannot be turned into passive voices because a sentence without an object can’t be changed into a passive voice on the other hand transitive verbs can be changed into a passive voice.
Intransitive Verbs Example sentences:
- She laughs at jokes.
- The sun shines brightly.
- They swim in the pool.
- The flowers bloom in the spring.
- He runs every morning.
- The wind blows gently.
- The rain falls heavily.
- I sleep peacefully at night.
- The river flows steadily.
- The clock ticks loudly.
- The leaves fall in autumn.
- The old man walks slowly.
- The balloon floats in the air.
- The train arrives on time.
- The dog barks loudly.
- The clouds gather in the sky.
List of Intransitive Verbs:
- Arrive
- Sleep
- Laugh
- Run
- Swim
- Jump
- Walk
- Relax
- Appear
- Disappear
- Breathe
- Die
- Cry
- Exist
- Occur
- Depart
- Drive
- Fly
- Float
- Gather
- Happen
- Sing
- Rise
- Set
- Shine
- Talk
- Wait
- Listen
- Speak
- Wander
- Arrive
- Belong
- Disagree
- Vary
- Develop
Transitive or intransitive verbs
Many verbs can be considered both transitive and intransitive. The presence or absence of a direct or indirect object indicates whether a verb is transitive or intransitive.
For example:
- Transitive: “She read a book.” (Object: a book)
- Intransitive: “She reads” (No object)
- Transitive: “He broke the glass.” (Object: the glass)
- Intransitive: “The glass broke.” (No object)
Difference Between transitive and intransitive Verbs:
| Aspect | Transitive Verbs | Intransitive Verbs |
| Definition | Verbs that require an object | Verbs that don’t require an object |
| Examples | I eat apples. | She sleeps. |
| Action | These verbs perform an action that affects an object. | These verbs describe actions without affecting an object. |
| Objects | They have a direct object that receives the action. | They do not have a direct object. |
| Completeness | Transitive verbs often feel incomplete without an object. | Intransitive verbs often feel complete on their own. |
| Questions | They often answers the question “what” or “whom.” | They typically answer “how,” “when,” or “where.” |
| Passive Voice | Can be turned into the passive voice. | Cannot be easily turned into a passive voice. |
| Sentences | Often used to construct more complex sentences. | Typically used in simpler sentences. |
| Meaning | Generally, they express what the subject does to an object. | Generally, they express what the subject does without affecting an object. |
| Follow | Followed by a direct or indirect object | Often followed by prepositions or adverbs |
Transitive and intransitive verbs exercise
Q1. Which of the following is a transitive verb?
- Sleep
- Run
- Eat
- Laugh
Q2. Which of the following is an intransitive verb?
- Write
- Arrive
- Read
- Cook
Q3. Identify the intransitive verb in the following sentence: “She wrote a beautiful poem.”
- She
- wrote
- a beautiful
- poem
Q4. Choose the intransitive verb in the sentence: “The cat jumped onto the table.”
- cat
- jumped
- onto
- table
Q5. Which of the following sentences contains a transitive verb?
- She sings beautifully.
- He reads a novel.
- They laugh together.
- The cat sleeps peacefully.
Q6. In the sentence, “She painted a beautiful picture,” what is the transitive verb?
- She
- painted
- beautiful
- picture
Q7. In the sentence, “They love chocolate,” what is the transitive verb?
- They
- love
- Chocolate
- They and love
Answers:
- c) Eat
- b) Arrive
- b) wrote
- b) jumped
- b) He reads a novel.
- b) painted
- b) love
FAQs
Q1: What is the main difference between transitive and intransitive verbs?
The main difference is that transitive verbs require a direct object to complete their meaning, while intransitive verbs do not require a direct object.
Q2: How can I identify a transitive verb in a sentence?
You can identify a transitive verb by asking the question “What?” or “Whom?” after the verb. If you get an answer, it’s likely a transitive verb. For example, in “She eats apples,” you can ask, “She eats what?” The answer is “apples,” so “eats” is a transitive verb.
Q3: How can I identify an intransitive verb in a sentence?
Intransitive verbs typically do not have a direct object, so if you can’t ask “What?” or “Whom?” after the verb and get a meaningful answer, it’s likely an intransitive verb. For example, in “He sleeps,” if you ask, “He sleeps what?” there is no meaningful answer, indicating “sleeps” is an intransitive verb.
Q4: Can a verb be both transitive and intransitive?
Yes, some verbs can be used as both transitive and intransitive, depending on the context. For example, “run” can be used intransitively (He runs) or transitively (He runs a race).
Q5: Give some example sentences of transitive and intransitive verbs.
Here are some common examples:
- She slept peacefully. (Intransitive)
- She read a storybook. (Transitive)
- The leaves fall in the autumn. (Intransitive)
- He sent an email to his boss. (Transitive)
- He runs every morning. (Intransitive)
- The sun shines brightly. (Intransitive)
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