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I. Tell which of the following verbs are transitive and which are intransitive. 1. Anne loves her mother.

2. The golden gate opened. 3. The moon silvers the distant hills. 4. Mary found her ring. 5. James writes poetry. 6. The snow melts. 7. The icy chains break. 8. The innocent lamb died. 9. The children played. 10. The children played a game. 11. Doris was elected president of the class. 12. Dan is the first baseman. II. Write an appropriate subject and object for each of the following verbs using the following model: For the verb to ring, write: The sexton (subject) rings the church bell (object). 1. to learn 2. to find 3. to hide 4. to fear 5. to remember 6. to inflict 7. to receive 8. to lift 9. to hear 10. to renew 11. to review 12. to write III. Point out the transitive and the intransitive verbs in the following examples. Also find the subject of each verb and the object of the verb if it has one. 1. Oh, spare me, that I may recover strength before I go hence and be no more. 2. Awake, arise, or be forever fallen. 3. Hannibal passed through Gaul, crossed the Alps, came down into Italy, and defeated several Roman generals; but he could not conquer the country, nor take the city of Rome. 4. Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his. 5. Hands of angels hidden from mortal eyes, shifted the scenery of the heavens; the glories of night dissolved into the glories of the dawn. The blue sky turned more softly gray; the great watch-stars shut up their holy eyes, the east began to kindle, and soon the whole celestial concave was filled with the inflowing tides of the morning light. Everett

6. The shadow of departed hours Hangs dim upon thine early flowers; Even in thy sunshine seems to brood Something too deep for solitude. Hemnans

1. Complete this sentence: A transitive verb transmits action to ________ a. a passive verb. b. a direct or indirect object. c. a possessive preposition. 2. Choose the statement that is FALSE. a. A transitive verb is followed by an object. b. An intransitive verb is followed by an object. c. An intransitive verb is not followed by an object. 3. Which word is the DIRECT object in the following sentence?

The professor gave her class an assignment via the Web site.

a. professor b. class c. assignment 4. Which word is an INDIRECT object in the following sentence?

The professor gave her class an assignment via the Web site.

a. professor b. class c. assignment 5. The professor gave her class an assignment via the school Web site.

In the above sentence, the verb gave is ________

a. transitive b. intransitive c. passive 6. Select the sentence that contains a TRANSITIVE verb. a. My aunt, who was examined by the doctor, is coming home.

b. The doctor examined my aunt and said she could come home. c. My aunt is coming home from the hospital after she is examined by the doctor. 7. Select the sentence that contains an INTRANSITIVE verb. a. The new hybrid tomato plant grows well in dry climates. b. The botanist developed a new hybrid tomato plant for dry climates. c. Neither a nor b 8. Choose the TRUE statement. a. All verbs are transitive. b. Most verbs are intransitive. c. Verbs can be either transitive or intransitive.

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Transitive and Intransitive Verbs


Read the following sentences. The batter hit the ball. The bird sang. What is the difference between the two verbs in the above sentences? At first thought, you may say the definition but forget about the meaning. Instead, concentrate on the grammar. How do the verbs differ grammatically? Notice that the first sentence has two words following the verb hit. The second sentence doesnt have words after the verb sang. These two facts lead us to a discussion on transitive and intransitive verbs.

What are transitive verbs?


Transitive verbs are action verbs that have an object to receive that action. In the first sentence above, the direct object ball received the action of the verb hit. Here are some more examples of transitive verbs: I baked some cookies. I rode the bicycle.

I moved the chair. I stitched a quilt. All of the verbs in the above sentences are transitive because an object is receiving the action of the verb. But what about the sentence The bird sang. Is the verb in that sentence a transitive verb? No, in this case the verb sang is an intransitive verb.

What are intransitive verbs?


Intransitive verbs are action verbs but unlike transitive verbs, the do not have an object receiving the action. Notice there are no words after the verb sang. More examples of intransitive verbs: I laughed. I cried. The book fell. The horse galloped. The sun set. In all of the above cases the subject is performing the action of the verb and nothing is receiving the action. What about this sentence? I walked to the park today. Is walked transitive or intransitive? Think about the rules. Since walked has words coming after it, the verb must be transitive, right? WRONG! The phrase to the park is a prepositional phrase and today is an adverb. There is no object receiving the action of the verb walked so the verb is intransitive. To recap, a transitive verb must be an action verb plus there must be an object to receive that action. Transitive vs Intransitive Verbs

It can be difficult to describe the difference between transitive and intransitive verbs, even if you can recognize them when they are used in a sentence. Being able to identify them, and use them correctly, is part of being able to represent yourself well in speech and in writing. Remember that since a verb offers action, there is the implication that there is something in the sentence that is empowered by the action. Defining the main difference between the intransitive and the transitive has everything to do with whether or not there is an object that is receiving that empowerment. If there is an object, it qualifies as a transitive verb. If there is no object, then it qualifies as an intransitive verb. Think of the root word, transit, and apply it to the verb. If the verb is transiting action to an object, or if the verb has no object to give the transiting to, it will determine what type of verb you are using. A transitive verb is responsible for giving the action specifically and directly to the object. For example, a simple sentence like: She mailed the package, is comprised of the transitive verb (mailed), which offers direct empowerment to the object (package) in a straightforward manner. A transitive verb can also indicate action through an indirect object. The indirect object is indicative of intention. For instance: She mailed Jennifer the package, is indicative of empowering the object to take action while also clarifying for whom the package was intended. Intransitive verbs are not indicative of empowering an object. You eat too much. This sentence has nothing to do with giving motion to an object, but the verb is still describing a direct action and the condition of that action. In this case, the verb (eat) is describing the condition (too much) as a qualitative factor. Its not the actual verb that defines whether the verb is transitive or intransitive, but the direct implication of an object or condition. Often you can use verbs that will easily qualify as both. I sing frequently is an intransitive verb because there is no object to empower. I sing pop songs is a transitive verb because there is an object to empower. Summary: 1. Transitive verbs give motion to the object. 2. Intransitive verbs do not have an object. 3. Intransitive verbs are used for sentences describing the condition of. 4. Transitive verbs are used for sentences that describe the objects action.

Read more: Difference Between Transitive and Intransitive Verbs | Difference Between | Transitive vs Intransitive Verbs http://www.differencebetween.net/language/difference-betweentransitive-and-intransitive-verbs/#ixzz2K5zJOBJY

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