Transitive and Intransitive

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1. What Are Transitive and Intransitive Verbs?

Transitive verbs need a direct object to complete their meaning. Intransitive verbs do not need an object to complete their meaning.

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2. Transitive Verbs

Transitive verbs must have a direct object (the thing that receives the action).

Examples:

• I eat an apple. (apple = direct object)
• She reads a book. (book = direct object)
• They built a house. (house = direct object)
• He wrote a letter. (letter = direct object)

Structure: Subject + Transitive Verb + Direct Object

• Subject: who does the action
• Transitive Verb: the action
• Direct Object: what receives the action

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3. Intransitive Verbs

Intransitive verbs cannot have a direct object. They express a complete thought without needing an object.

Examples:

• The baby cries. (no object needed)
• The sun shines. (no object needed)
• Birds fly. (no object needed)
• The car stopped. (no object needed)

Structure: Subject + Intransitive Verb

• Subject: who/what does the action
• Intransitive Verb: the action (complete by itself)

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4. How to Identify Transitive vs Intransitive

Ask the question "What?" or "Whom?" after the verb:

If you can answer the question → Transitive

• She reads what? → She reads a book. (transitive)
• He kicked what? → He kicked the ball. (transitive)

If you cannot answer the question → Intransitive

• The baby cries what? → (no answer, makes no sense)
• Birds fly what? → (no answer, makes no sense)

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5. Some Verbs Can Be Both

Many verbs can be either transitive or intransitive depending on how they're used:

Examples:

Run:

• Intransitive: He runs every morning. (no object)
• Transitive: He runs a business. (business = object)

Stop:

• Intransitive: The car stopped. (no object)
• Transitive: He stopped the car. (car = object)

Eat:

• Intransitive: We eat at 7 PM. (no object)
• Transitive: We eat dinner at 7 PM. (dinner = object)

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6. Common Transitive Verbs

• make, do, take, give, get, buy, sell, write, read, send, bring, carry, hold, catch, throw, hit, kick, open, close, start, finish

Examples:

• I made a cake.
• She bought a car.
• They sent an email.

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7. Common Intransitive Verbs

• sleep, walk, run, swim, fly, arrive, leave, go, come, stay, wait, sit, stand, lie, fall, rise, appear, disappear, happen, occur

Examples:

• I sleep for 8 hours.
• She walked to school.
• The plane arrived on time.

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8. Common Mistakes

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9. Prepositional Phrases vs Direct Objects

Be careful not to confuse prepositional phrases with direct objects:

Intransitive verbs can have prepositional phrases:

• She walks to school. (to school = prepositional phrase, not direct object)
• Birds fly in the sky. (in the sky = prepositional phrase, not direct object)

Transitive verbs have direct objects:

• She drives a car. (car = direct object)
• He plays football. (football = direct object)

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10. Practice Examples

Identify if the verb is transitive or intransitive:

1. The dog barks. → Intransitive (no object)
2. The dog bites the mailman. → Transitive (mailman = object)
3. The flowers bloom. → Intransitive (no object)
4. The gardener waters the flowers. → Transitive (flowers = object)
5. The phone rings. → Intransitive (no object)
6. She answers the phone. → Transitive (phone = object)

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Quick Review

• Transitive verbs: need a direct object to complete their meaning.
• Intransitive verbs: do not need an object, express complete meaning alone.
• Test: Ask "What?" or "Whom?" after the verb.
• Some verbs: can be both transitive and intransitive.
• Prepositional phrases: are not direct objects.
• Common mistake: using intransitive verbs with objects or transitive verbs without objects.