Intransitive and Transitive Verbs

A transitive verb needs an object. An intransitive verb, on the other hand, does not need an object.

Here, the examples =

Ann buys an expensive car

Michael loves his parents

As you read, the red words are as subjects, the black words are transitive verb, and the blue words are as objects

Now consider another example.

The boy speaks loudly.

The girl jumps quickly.

Here the verb ‘speak’ and ‘jump’ do not have an object. Therefore, they are intransitive verbs.

When an intransitive verb is used in a causative sense it becomes transitive.

Examples are :

Intransitive: The rabbit walks.

Transitive: The man walks the rabbit. (Here the verb ‘walks’ becomes transitive because it has an object. The man causes the rabbit to walk.)

Intransitive: Kites fly in the sky.

Transitive: Kim and his friends fly their kites. (Here the verb ‘fly’ becomes transitive because it has an object. The boys cause the kites to fly.)

Some common verbs are distinguished as transitive or intransitive by their spelling.

Here are the examples :

The tree falls in a storm. (Here the verb ‘fall’ is intransitive. It does not have an object.)

Woodcutters fell trees. (NOT Woodcutters fall trees. Fell means cause to fall. So, the verb ‘fell’ here is transitive. )

Lay the pens on the table. (Lay means cause to lie. Here the verb ‘lay’ is transitive.)

Rise with the delight. (Here the verb ‘rise’ is intransitive.)

The teacher asked John to raise his hands. (Here the verb ‘raise’ is transitive because it has an object.)