国内精品久久久久影院

<table id="vfafd"></table>

Oxford English and Spanish Dictionary, Thesaurus, and Spanish to English Translator

Home Grammar What are transitive and intransitive verbs?

What are transitive and intransitive verbs?

A transitive verb is one that is used with an object: a noun, phrase, or pronoun that refers to the person or thing that is affected by the action of the verb. In the following sentences, admire, maintain, face, and love are transitive verbs:

I admire your courage.

We need to maintain product quality.

I couldn’t face him today.

She loves animals.

Some transitive verbs can be used with a direct object and an indirect object:

Liz brought	*her*	*a glass of water.*
	[indirect object]	[direct object]
He sent	*her*	*a letter.*
	[indirect object]	[direct object]

Read more about direct and indirect objects.

Here is a short list of some common verbs that can take a direct and indirect object:

Verb	Example
give	Pat gave* me a book for my birthday*.
buy	Can I buy* you a drink?*
pass	Paul passed* her a cup of coffee.*
make	Shall I make* us some lunch?*
sell	Jenny was trying to sell* me her car*.
take	We took* Maria some flowers and wine*.
show	*Show* me your holiday photos.
offer	The company has offered me a job.
leave	*Leave* me a message and I’ll get back to you.
wish	Everyone wished* us all the best for the future*.
lend	Could you lend* me ￡20?*
cost	Ben’s mistake cost* him his job*.

Intransitive verbs

An intransitive verb does not have an object. In the following sentences, cry, work, laugh, and talk are intransitive verbs:

The baby was crying.

I work for a large firm in Paris.

They laughed uncontrollably.

We talked for hours.

Transitive and intransitive verbs

Many verbs can be transitive or intransitive. For example:

The choir sang carols. [transitive]

Pete always sings in the bath. [intransitive]

She left London on June 6. [transitive]

I want to leave early. [intransitive]

Here is a short list of some common verbs that can be transitive or intransitive:

Verb	Transitive	Intransitive
move	Could you move* your car please?*	The trees were moving* in the breeze*.
start	Taylor was found guilty of starting* the fire.*	The match starts* at 3 p.m*.
change	Marriage hasn’t changed* her.*	The area’s changed* greatly in the last decade*.
close	*Close* your eyes; I’ve got a surprise for you.	Most shops here close* at 5.30 p.m.*
open	*Open* the window; it’s too hot in here!	The museum opens* at 10 a.m.*
stop	Greg tried to stop* her from leaving*.	When the rain stopped, we went for a walk.
do	Have you done* your coursework?*	Joe’s doing* well in his new job.*
set	Kate set* a chair next to the bed.*	The sun was setting* and a red glow filled the sky.*
run	Michelle used to run* a restaurant*.	The path ran* over the hill.*
live	Our cat lived* till he was 10.*	He was living* a life of luxury abroad*.
wash	Have you washed* your hands?*	I washed, dressed, and went out.
write	*Write* your name here.	Kevin couldn’t read or write.