Transitive & Intransitive Verbs

 

A TRANSITIVE  VERB is a verb which will have ALWAYS have an object.

            EXAMPLE: Sally likes candy.

                        Sally is the subject and the doer of the action. The action is likes. The object of                                         

                        WHAT she likes is candy.

            There are two voices of transitive verbs.

                 *****A  transitive verb is in the ACTIVE VOICE when the subject is the doer of the                                               

                                    action and the object   of the action is in the predicate of the sentence.

                       

                        EAMPLE: Freda both a dress.

                                    Freda is the subject and the doer of the action bought. Dress tells WHAT                                                  

                                    Freda bought and is the object of the verb bought found in the                                                       

                                    predicate of the sentence.

 

                 *****A transitive verb is in the PASSIVE VOICE when the doer of the action is in a                                                

                                    prepositional phrase in the predicate of the sentence, the object of the                                            

                                    action is in the subject of the sentence, and the transitive verb has a                                                

                                    helping verb.

 

                        EXAMPLE: The dress was bought by Freda.

                                    The doer of the action is Freda but she is in a prepositional phrase in the                                        

                                    predicate of the sentence. The object of the action is dress which is found                                     

                                    in the subject of the sentence and the main verb bought is joined with the                                      

                                    helping verb was.

 

An INTRANSITIVE VERB will NEVER have an object.

            EXAMPLE: The dog barked at the cat.

                        The dog is the subject and the doer of the action barked. Cat is the object of the                                       

                                    preposition at not the object of WHAT was barked.

 

            There are TWO types of Intransitive verbs.

                         ***** An Intransitive Linking verb is a verb which has no object but can have a                                                  

                                    predicate nominative. The verb links the subject with the noun in                                                    

                                    the predicate (called a predicate nominative)

 

                        EXAMPLE: The beautiful girl became a ballerina. The verb BECAME is a                                           

                                    linking verb. It shows no action and therefore cannot have an object. The                                      

                                    verb BEVAME links the girl with ballerina. The girl equals a ballerina as                                        

                                    a ballerina equals the girl.

 

                        ***** An Intransitive Complete verb is a verb which has no object and the doer                                                   

                                    of the action is in the subject. This type of verb might also be a                                                       

                                    state of being verb.

                        EXAMPLE: The barn burnt to the ground. The barn is the subject &  doer of                                                    

                                                            the action burnt.