5V

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 5

Transitive vs intransitive verbs

Transitive verbs MUST be followed by object (lijd. v.w.).

Without the sentence is NOT complete.

Example: Please bring coffee.

bring = transitive; its object is coffee.

Without object, sentence incomplete.

Verb demands an object!

More examples of transitive verbs and their objects.

The girls carry water to their village.

Juan threw the ball.

• Could you phone the neighbors?
• I caught a cold.
• She loves rainbows.
• Lila conveyed the message.
  

An intransitive verb does not require an object for the sentence to make sense / be complete.

• They jumped.
  
• The dog ran.
  
• She sang.
  
• A light was shining.
  

A number of English verbs can only be intransitive. They will never make sense paired with an object. 

Two examples of intransitive-only: are arrive and die. You can’t arrive something, and you certainly can’t die something; it is impossible for an object to follow these verbs.

Many verbs can be classified as both transitive and intransitive depending on how they are used in a sentence.

He runs along the beach every morning (NO direct object (thing being acted upon by the verb) NEEDED) --> intransitive

He runs a small grocery (DO) store --> transitive 

Transitive of intransitive?

He promised he'd be at home, but he was out when I called (1)

1. Transitive
2. Intransitive

I was so annoyed that I called (2) him a very rude name.

1. Transitive
2. Intransitive

Tarek runs (1) everyday before he goes to work

1. Transitive
2. Intransitive

He works in London where he runs (2) a small IT company

1. Transitive
2. Intransitive