What Are Transitive Verbs?
Transitive Verbs are the words which need a direct object to complete the action (of verb) upon that direct object. Without the direct Object the sentence seems incomplete and irrelevant. Transitive verbs are always followed by a noun or an object, on which the action is being performed or is meant to be performed. After going through examples given below, we will be easy to identify Transitive Verbs in a sentence.
> Wash the car.
> Lilly send me a nice greeting card.
> She left the door opened.
> They bought a new car.
> He is moving the table.
Go through the sentences one by one-
> Wash the car.
The verb in the above sentence is easily identifiable- ‘wash’. Would it make any sense to say just ‘wash’? No! It would be incomplete and the listener will remain confused; therefore, there must be an object on which the action is to be performed. In this case that object is ‘the car’.
Therefore, ‘wash’ is a Transitive Verb and ‘car’ is the Direct Object on which the verb is performed.
- Lilly send me a nice greeting card.
In the above sentence ‘send’ is the Transitive Verb and ‘greeting card’ is the Direct Object; since, the object Greeting card is being send (verb).
- She left the door opened.
What did she left open?- The door!
Therefore, the Transitive Verb in the above sentence is ‘left’ and the direct object is ‘door’.
- They bought a new car.
Transitive Verb- bought and the Direct Object is ‘New car’.
- He is moving the table.
Transitive Verb in the above sentence is ‘moving’ and the direct Object is ‘table’.
All the above verbs in the sentences are Transitive because they are followed by an object which receives the action.
Definition of Transitive Verbs
The verb which transfers action on an Object is called Intransitive Verb. It always has an Object to perform the action upon. Without a Direct Object the Transitive Verb becomes obsolete; having an incomplete or no meaning at all. Consider the sentence-
- He carries the burden on his shoulders.
The verb in the subject is easily identifiable- carries.
What did he carry? The burden! So, in this case the object is ‘burden’; since it is the object on which the action is being performed.
Now, just for instance think of a sentence without the object, as given below-
- He carries on his shoulders.
Does the above sentence makes sense or does it looks incomplete? The above sentence seems incomplete as the object on which the verb- carries; being performed is missing.
Therefore the sentence to be meaningful, the verb- ‘carries’ has to be followed by a Direct Object- the burden. Therefore, ‘carries’ is the Transitive Verb, as it cannot stand alone without an Object.
Examples/List of Transitive Verbs
Take, refuse, carry, paint, kick, want, send, write, buy, make, leave, show, ask, clean, collect, define, destroy, scold, slam, accept, appreciate, avoid, build, bother, vacate, wake, wear, warm, throw, threaten, unload, twist, unlock, open, close, shake, grab, save, gather, embrace, encourage, entertain, discover, beat, believe, bend, comfort, contradict etc.
There could be numerous more examples of Transitive Verbs. Think about them and form new sentences using Transitive Verbs.
More Examples of Transitive Verbs
Below we will go through some more example sentences having Transitive Verbs-
Note- The Tense Form of the verb is to be chosen based on the time of the action being performed. i.e. take, took, taken etc can be used as Transitive Verbs, depending on the statement.
- Oliver took (Transitive Verb) the book (Direct Object) yesterday.
- He painted (Transitive Verb) the building (Direct Object) black.
- He slammed (Transitive Verb) the door (Direct Object) closed.
- Please unlock (Transitive Verb) the suitcase (Direct Object) with the keys.
- I accept (Transitive Verb) your invitation (Direct Object).
- She opened (Transitive Verb) the gate (Direct Object) late.
- The teacher scolded (Transitive Verb) the students (Direct Object) for making noise.
- You have to unload (Transitive Verb) the vehicle (Direct Object).
- You have to grab (Transitive Verb) the opportunity (Direct Object) when it presents itself.
- Who took (Transitive Verb) the keys (Direct Object)
In all the above sentences the verb cannot stand alone without an object. Therefore it is a Transitive Verb.
Complex Transitive Verbs/Transitive Verbs With Two Objects
Complex Transitive Verbs are the verbs having two objects unlike the Transitive Verbs which take a single object. For Ex-
- Rocky bought a car.
In the sentence ‘bought’ is a Transitive Verb which refers to the object ‘a car’. Now go through another sentence-
- Rocky bought her a car.
The above sentence has two objects- ‘her’ and ‘a car’.
The object immediately following the Transitive Verb is called the Indirect Object. In which case ‘her’ becomes the Indirect Object of the above sentence. The above sentence therefore has-
- Transitive Verb – ‘bought’
- Indirect Object – ‘her’
- Direct Object – ‘a car’
Some More Examples of Complex Transitive Verbs/Transitive Verbs With Two Objects
There are few verbs that can be used as Transitive Verbs with single object as well as with Double Objects. Verbs that can be used with Double Objects are- ask, owe, lend, tell, make, sell, buy, offer, promise and give.
Below we will go through some more example sentences having Transitive Verbs with two objects-
- He gave her a ring. (Transitive Verb: gave, Indirect Object: her, Direct Object: a ring)
- Oliver owes him money. (Transitive Verb: owes, Indirect Object: him, Direct Object: money)
- She sold him the car. (Transitive Verb: sold, Indirect Object: him, Direct Object: the car)
- They told her a story. (Transitive Verb: told, Indirect Object: her, Direct Object: a story)
- She made him a nice dinner. (Transitive Verb: made, Indirect Object: him, Direct Object: a nice dinner)
- They bought him a toy car. (Transitive Verb: bought, Indirect Object: him, Direct Object: a toy car)
In all the above sentences the Transitive Verb is followed first by the Indirect Object and then the Direct Object.
All the above sentences can also be written with the Direct Object immediately after the Transitive Verb, but in that case we have to place the prepositions ‘to’ and ‘for’ before the Indirect Object. The above sentences are rewritten below; this time the Direct Object is written first followed by the Indirect Object.
- He gave a ring to her. (Transitive Verb: gave, Direct Object: a ring, Preposition: to, Indirect Object: her)
- Oliver owes money to him. (Transitive Verb: owes, Direct Object: money, Preposition: to, Indirect Object: him)
- She sold the car to him. (Transitive Verb: sold, Direct Object: the car, Preposition: to, Indirect Object: him)
- She made a nice dinner for him. (Transitive Verb: made, Direct Object: a nice dinner, Preposition: for, Indirect Object: him)
- They bought a toy car for him. (Transitive Verb: bought, Direct Object: a toy car, Preposition: for, Indirect Object: him)
Phrasal Verbs and Transitivity
Phrasal Verb is a verb which is combined by a Preposition, an Adverb or both. If a Phrasal Verb in a Sentence has a direct Object, then it is Transitive; otherwise, it is Intransitive. Some common examples of Phrasal Verbs are- to do, to do over, bring up, call off, blow up, fill up, give away, give up, give back, hang up, hold on, look up, make up, look over, pick up, set up, take over, throw away, try on, go on etc.
Below given are some examples of Phrasal Verbs as Transitive Verbs-
- She is bringing up the children very well. (Transitive Verb/Phrasal Verb: bringing, Direct Object: children )
- They called off the strike. (Transitive Verb/Phrasal Verb: called off, Direct Object: strike )
- We have to set up an example for others. (Transitive Verb/Phrasal Verb: set up, Direct Object: an example, Preposition: for, Indirect Object: others )
- Don’t throw away the food. (Transitive Verb/Phrasal Verb: throw away, Direct Object: the food )
- He hung up the receiver. (Transitive Verb/Phrasal Verb: hung up , Direct Object: the receiver)
How to Identify a Transitive Verb?
The following points must be kept in mind before zeroing in on Transitive Verbs-
1) Transitive Verbs are action Verbs.
Transitive Verbs are always Action Verbs; that is, they always perform an action. For ex- sell, buy, give, kick, beta, open, close etc.
2) Transitive Verbs are always followed by a Direct Object, on which the action is intended.
If the verb is followed by a Direct Object on which the action is being performed, then the verb is Transitive Verb. For Ex-
- He kicked the ball.
- She swiped the bags.
- They drove the car.
In the above sentences – kicked, swiped and drove; respectively are Transitive Verbs as they are followed by a Direct Object on which the action (Verb) is performed.
3) If there is no Direct Object then the Verb becomes Intransitive (which we will discuss in next Chapter).
If there is no Direct Object on which the action is being performed, then the Verb is an ‘Intransitive Verb’. For Ex-
- He kicked powerfully.
- She sold for him.
- He played.
The above sentences don’t have a Direct Object so, kicked, sold, played are Intransitive Verbs.
Exercises/Worksheets/Activities on Transitive Verbs with Answers
MCQ Exercises/Worksheets/Activities on Transitive Verbs with Answers:
Choose the correct answer from the choices given with every question. Read the question and the sentences given carefully and choose the options those are correct. It should be kept in mind that the verbs not having a Direct Object are Intransitive. Check your Answers with the answers provided in the end of the exercise.
1) In the sentence ‘The train has arrived’;
- a) ‘Arrived’ is Transitive Verb
- b) ‘Arrived’ is Intransitive Verb
- c) Sentence is incomplete
2) In the statement- ‘I will solve this equation’.
- a) ‘Solve’ is Transitive Verb
- b) ‘Solve’ is Intransitive Verb
- c) ‘Equation’ is an Indirect Object
3) In the sentence- ‘The dog barked.’
- a) ‘Barked’ is a Transitive Verb
- b) ‘The Dog’ is not a direct object
- c) ‘Barked’ is Intransitive Verb.
4) She dropped her phone while talking.
- a) ‘Dropped’ is a Transitive Verb
- b) ‘Dropped’ is a Transitive Verb and ‘Phone’ is the Direct Object
- c) ‘Dropped’ is an Intransitive Verb
5) In the sentence-‘Please don’t laugh.’
- a) ‘Laugh’ is Transitive Verb
- b) ‘Please don’t’ is a Phrasal Verb
- c) ‘Laugh’ is Intransitive Verb
6) In the sentence- ‘Open the box’
- a) ‘Open’ is Intransitive Verb
- b) ‘Open’ is Transitive Verb
7) In the sentence- ‘The rain is falling’
- a) ‘Falling’ is Intransitive Verb.
- b) ‘Falling’ is Transitive Verb.
8) In the sentence-‘She swam in the river.’
- a) ‘Swam’ is Transitive Verb
- b) ‘Swam’ is Intransitive Verb
- c) ‘River’ is a Direct Object
9) In the sentence-‘Complete your homework.’
- a) ‘Complete’ is a Transitive Verb
- b) ‘Complete’ is Intransitive Verb
- c) ‘Homework’ is a Direct Object
10) In the sentence ‘He behaves politely’
- a) ‘Behaves’ is Transitive Verb
- b) ‘Politely’ is the Direct Object
- c) ‘Behave’ is Intransitive Verb
11) He can ride any bike.
- a) ‘Ride’ is Transitive Verb
- b) ‘Any bike’ is the Direct Object
12) In the sentence-‘Ride the horse’.
- a) ‘Ride’ is Transitive Verb
- b) ‘Horse’ is an Indirect Object
13) In the sentence- ‘Rocky unlocked the door for him.’
- a) ‘Unlock’ is a Transitive Verb
- b) ‘Rocky’ is an Indirect Object
- c) ‘Him’ is an Indirect Object
14) “He blew up the project because of a silly mistake”
In the above sentence-
- a) ‘Blew up’ is a Phrasal Verb which is also Transitive
- b) ‘Blew’ is Transitive Verb
- c) ‘Blew’ is Intransitive Verb
15) In the sentence-‘He gave the book to his friend’
- a) ‘Gave’ is Transitive Verb
b)’Book’ is the Direct Object
- c) ‘His friend’ is the Indirect Object.
Answers– 1)b, 2)a, 3)b,c, 4)a,b, 5)c, 6)b, 7)a, 8)b, 9)a,c, 10)c, 11)a,b, 12)a, 13)a,c, 14)a, 15)a,b,c
Complex Transitive Verbs Exercises/Worksheet/Activities with Answers:
For the sentences given, choose the true statement from the choices provided. Check your answer with the answers provided in the end of the exercise.
1) He sold him the car.
- a) ‘Sold’ is a complex Transitive Verb
- b) ‘The car’ is a Direct Object
- c) ‘Him’ is the Indirect Object
2) He asked her for a leave.
- a) ‘Asked’ is a Transitive Verb
- b) ‘Asked’ is a Complex Transitive verb
3) What is the Indirect Object in the sentence: ‘She made a bouquet for him.’
- a) She
- b) Bouquet
- c) Him
4) ‘She sold her car to the dealer.
- a) ‘Sold’ is Complex Transitive Verb
- b) ‘Car’ is the Direct Object
- c) ‘Dealer’ is the Indirect Object
5)’ He offered a pen to her’.
The sentence can also be correctly written as
- a) He offered her a pen.
- b) He offers her a pen.
6) Rocky has lend some money to Oliver.
- a) ‘Lend’ is Complex Transitive Verb
- b) ‘Some money’ is the Direct Object
- c) ‘Oliver’ is an Indirect Object
7) The manager promised me a raise.
- a) ‘Promised’ is a not a Complex Transitive Verb
- b) ‘Me’ is an Indirect Object
- c) ‘A raise ‘is an Indirect Object
8) ‘She told the children a good story.’
What is the Indirect Object in the above sentence?
- a) children
- b) a good story
9) ‘They bought a tent house for the children.’
What is the Direct Object in the above sentence-?
- a) a tent house
- b) children
10)’ He owes money to the contractor.’
What is the Complex Transitive Verb in the above sentence-?
- a) money
- b) contractor
- c) owes
Answers– 1)a,b,c, 2)b, 3)c, 4)a,b,c, 5)a, 6)a,b,c, 7)b, 8)a, 9)a, 10)c
Phrasal Verbs Exercises/Worksheet/Activities With Answers:
Complete the following sentences with appropriate Phrasal Verbs from the choices give. Verify your answers with the answers provided in the end of the exercise.
1) I was asked to __________ the matter during weekly meeting.
- a) try on
- b) bring up
2) The government _________ the curfew after two days.
- a) Pick up
- b) called off
3) Authorities are __________ new schools under the ‘Sarva Siksha Abhiyaan’.
- a) fill up
- b) setting up
4) He was ___________ the bottle when it slipped.
- a) throwing up
- b) filling up
5) He _________ all his money to charity.
- a) gave up
- b) looked up
6) They __________ the unnecessary things.
- a) blow up
- b) threw away
7) He _________ the book to her.
- a) gave back
- b) pick up
8) The bank ________ his assets.
- a) bring up
- b) took over
9) They _______ their chance to win.
- a) blew up
- b) try on
10) Never _________ the money thrown at you.
- a) bring up
- b) pick up
Answers- 1)b, 2)b, 3)b, 4)b, 5)a, 6)b, 7)a, 8)b, 9)a, 10)b
Related Information:
Verb
Regular Verb
Irregular Verb
Subject-Verb Agreement
Modal Auxiliary Verbs
Intransitive Verbs
Nonfinite Verb
Finite Verb
Stative Verb
Dynamic Verb
Auxiliary Verb
Lexical Verb