What Are Transitive Verbs? » Pyinnyar Pankhin

What Are Transitive Verbs? (with Examples)

Transitive Verb

A transitive verb is a verb that can take a direct object. In other words, the action of a transitive verb is done to someone or something. Most verbs are transitive.

A transitive verb contrasts with an intransitive verb, which is a verb that does not take a direct object. In other words, it is not done to someone or something. It only involves the subject.

Transitive Verb

The action of a transitive verb transitions through the verb to an object to complete the meaning.

She

played

the piano

(direct object)

Liam

will drink

three beers

(direct object)

Easy Examples of Transitive Verbs

In the examples below, the transitive verb is highlighted and the direct object (i.e., the thing being acted upon) is in bold.

Lee eats pies.
(Eats is transitive because you can eat something.)
Lee loves mince pies.
(Loves is transitive because you can love something. Note that direct objects aren’t usually single words. They’re usually noun phrases, i.e., more than one word.)
Lee bought dozens of cakes.
(Bought is transitive because you can buy something.)

Easy Examples of Intransitive Verbs

As transitive verbs contrast with intransitive verbs, let’s look at some intransitive ones. In the examples below, each intransitive verb is shaded. Remember that an intransitive verb can’t have a direct object, so none of the text is in bold.

He fainted.
(Fainted is an intransitive verb. It has no direct object. You cannot faint something; e.g., you cannot say “He fainted her.”)
A vulture soared effortlessly overhead.
(Soared is an intransitive verb. It has no direct object. You cannot soar something; e.g., you cannot say “The vulture soared the air.”
The sharks are congregating near the raft.
(Are congregating is an intransitive verb. It has no direct object. However, you can congregate something; e.g., you can say “The whales are congregating the seals.” So, some verbs can be both intransitive and transitive. There’s more on this to come.)

More Examples of Transitive Verbs

To find the direct object of a transitive verb, find the verb and ask “what?” or “whom?”. If this question seems nonsensical, you’re probably dealing with an intransitive verb.

All the toys opened their eyes as the clock struck midnight.
(Q: Opened what? A: their eyes)
(Q: Struck what? A: midnight)
(A direct object does not have to be something tangible. If it answers the question “what?” or “whom?” in relation to a verb, then it’s a direct object. Midnight is intangible, but it’s a perfectly good direct object for the verb to strike.)
No amount of time can erase the memory of a good cat, and no amount of masking tape can ever totally remove his fur from your couch. (Author Leo Buscaglia)
You can’t get eight cats to pull a sled through snow. (TV producer Jeff Valdez)
(Q: Can’t get what? A: eight cats to pull a sled through snow)

Transitive verbs are common. They even appear inside the direct objects of other transitive verbs.

I loathe people who keep dogs. They are cowards who haven’t got the guts to bite people themselves.
(Q: Loathe what? A: people who keep dogs)
(Q: Haven’t got what? A: the guts to bite people)

(If you look at just the two direct objects in this example (i.e., the texts in bold), there’s a transitive verb in each one. Q: Keep what? A: dogs; Q: To bite what? A: people)

More Examples of Intransitive Verbs

Here are some examples of intransitive verbs (shaded).

Laugh and the world laughs with you; snore and you sleep alone. (Writer Anthony Burgess)
(These are all intransitive verbs. You can’t laugh something, snore something or sleep something.)
If the context changes, your greatest strength can emerge as a weakness. (Cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle)
(These are both intransitive verbs. You can’t emerge something, but, hang on, you can change something, e.g., your socks or a tyre. So, to change is an example of a verb that can be transitive or intransitive.)

As we’ve just seen with to change, determining whether a verb is transitive or intransitive can get tricky because some verbs can be both. It depends on the precise meaning. If the verb only involves the subject, it will be intransitive. Let’s look at the example again, putting changes through the test:

If the context changes, your greatest strength can emerge as a weakness.

(Q: Changes what? A: Well, nothing…it just changes. That’s what your answer will look like when you’re dealing with an intransitive verb.)

Let’s look at a similar example:

If you change the context, your greatest strength can emerge as a weakness.
(Q: Changes what? A: the context. Now, to change is transitive!)

Let’s do another one:

I could feel his muscle tissues crumple under my force. It’s ludicrous these mortals even attempt to enter my realm. (Boxer Mike Tyson)

(Q: Crumple what? A: Nothing…just crumple. Intransitive.)

Let’s create a similar but transitive example:

I could crumple his muscle tissues with my force.

(Q: Crumple what? A: his muscle tissues. Transitive.)

Be Mindful of Linking Verbs

Here’s something to watch out for. The “what test” to determine whether a verb is transitive or intransitive doesn’t work with linking verbs (e.g., to be, to appear, to seem).

Laziness appears attractive, but work gives satisfaction. (Diarist Anne Frank)
(Q: Appears what? A: attractive. We have an answer to the “what test,” but to appear is not a transitive verb. It’s an intransitive linking verb.)

Some Verbs Can Be Transitive or Intransitive

As we touched upon with to change and to crumple in the examples above, some verbs can be transitive or intransitive. Here’s a list of common verbs that can be transitive or intransitive with examples.

Verb		Transitive and Intransitive Example
to agree		She agreed my terms. (Transitive) She agreed yesterday. (Intransitive)
to play		She will play the hornpipe. (Transitive) She will play tonight. (Intransitive)
to run		I ran the show. (Transitive) I ran. (Intransitive)
to walk		She is walking the dog. (Transitive) She is walking there. (Intransitive)
to eat		Let’s eat pie. (Transitive) Let’s eat. (Intransitive)
to demonstrate		She demonstrated her skills. (Transitive) She demonstrated. (Intransitive)
to sit		I sat her on my lap. (Transitive) I sat near the window. (Intransitive)
to stand		I stood the pole under the sheet. (Transitive) I stood for hours. (Intransitive)

More about Transitive Verbs

Only transitive verbs can have a passive form. For example:

The tart was smashed.

(This is fine. A transitive verb can have a passive form.)

You cannot create a passive sentence using an intransitive verb. Let’s try to create a passive sentence with the intransitive verb to exist.

The megalodon was existed about 2 million years ago. ✖︎

(This is nonsense. An intransitive verb cannot have a passive form.)