A verb is a word which denotes the action that happens in any sentence. Verbs are of many types, but the most important and fundamental of them are the Transitive and Intransitive Verbs. In this lesson, let us discuss what these the kinds of verbs are along with their examples.
What is a Transitive Verb?
In a sentence, if the action denoted by the verb is related to the object directly, it is known as a transitive verb. Simply put, it passes over the action done by the subject to the object. For example,
Brazil won the World Cup.
In this sentence, the verb “won” is directly related to the object “World Cup” and is passed on from the subject “Brazil”. Hence, the verb “won” is a transitive verb. We can find an answer in this sentence to “who won?” and also to “Who won what?”.
Some more examples for Transitive Verb sentences are:
- The kid hit the wall.
- He has learnt his lesson.
- She found her lost pen.
- My father gave me a gift on my birthday.
- I gave my sister a mobile phone.
- The manager discussed the company strategies with his employees.
All the highlighted words are the verbs in the sentences and each verb has a relation to the object mentioned next to it.
What is an Intransitive verb?
An intransitive verb is a verb which does not pass on from the subject to the object. In such verbs, the words next to the verb are not objects in a way, and only emphasize the verb’s action or a state of being. For example,
The sun rises in the East.
In this sentence, the meaning of the verb “rises” cannot be passed on to the latter part “in the East”. Hence ‘rises’ is an Intransitive Verb.
Some more examples for Intransitive verbs are as follows:
- She slept on the sofa.
- He is a man.
- The moon shone brightly in the night.
- He speaks
- I don’t feel
- The bus stopped
- The crocodile fights
The meaning and essence of the verbs mentioned above do not get passed on to the objects in the sentences, and hence are used as intransitive verbs.
Verbs Used both as Transitive and Intransitive
It is important to note that there are no fixed examples for transitive and intransitive verbs, and a verb can be used transitively or intransitively according to the meaning of the sentence. Some verbs can be used both as transitive and intransitive according to the meaning. Here are some examples for verbs of such cases:
- Please ring the bell. (Transitive)
- The bell is ringing loudly. (Intransitive)
In the same way,
- The driver stopped the car. (Transitive)
- The train stopped abruptly. (Intransitive)
Note: Sentences where verbs are used intransitively cannot be changed into passive voice.
Click here to learn more about Verbs
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