General English Level 6 V 3
UNIT 04 The unexplained TOPIC 01 The power of animals
LANGUAGE FOCUS 05 Transitive and intransitive verbs

Transitive verbs

Laura Sandler says:
Many pet owners believe that their pets are psychic. My message to you all is - open your minds and hearts and you'll hear what your pets have to say. I have dedicated my life to this work because I feel so strongly that animals need a voice.

Believe and dedicated are examples of transitive verbs. Transitive verbs need an object in order to make sense. They are followed by a direct object.

subject verb object
They needed a new car.
She caught the train to work.

Transitive verbs can usually take the passive form.


Examples

1 Read the examples.
2 Listen to the examples.
3 Practise saying each example. Use the Pause button.
He feeds the cat three times a day.
They brought a bottle of wine to dinner.
He's opened a new restaurant in the city.
The music of Beethoven has influenced him greatly.

Intransitive Verbs

Laura Sandler says:
… Several months after he'd left to fight, his wife wrote to him to tell him his much-loved dog, Ranger, had gone missing. When he received the letter he laughed - Ranger was already with him in France.

Go and laugh are examples of intransitive verbs. An intransitive verb does not need an object.

subject verb object
They surrendered.
She paused.

Intransitive verbs cannot take the passive form.

Examples

1 Read the examples.
2 Listen to the examples.
3 Practise saying each example. Use the Pause button.
She advanced to the next level.
Sheila fell down the stairs.
He swam the whole length of the pool.
She smiled when she heard the good news.



Some verbs are both transitive and intransitive. They can be used with or without an object.

He felt good about the situation. (intransitive)
He felt something hairy, and screamed. (transitive)

A quality dictionary will tell you whether a verb is transitive, intransitive or both.

Now go to 06 LANGUAGE FOCUS Using a dictionary - part 1.