Chances are when you studied grammar back in school, you were introduced to the seemingly mysterious concept of transitive and intransitive verbs. But these verb forms don't have to be mystifying. All you have to note about them is the way each performs its action.
Think of transitive verbs as transferring their action to an object. In active voice, that action is transferred directly to the direct object, as in this example sentence:
Marcie took the pencil.
Pencil is the direct object of the verb took.
You can easily recognize a transitive verb by removing the direct object. Without the object "pencil," the sentence reads Marcie took, which does not make sense. We need to know what Marcie took to make the sentence complete. So, to repeat, a verb that transfers its action to a direct object is transitive.
Next, think of intransitive verbs as not transferring their action, as in this example sentence:
Marcie stayed.
The sentence is complete and makes sense, even though the verb stayed does not transfer its action to an object. This verb is intransitive.
Here are the main points to remember: If a verb needs to transfer its action to a direct object, the verb is transitive; otherwise, the verb is intransitive.
You can learn more about transitive and intransitive verbs on page 249 in Write for Business: A Compact Guide to Writing and Communicating in the Workplace, just one of the many helpful business writing materials from UpWrite Press.
- Joyce Lee
Podcast
Comments
Post has no comments.