Intransitive Verb: Definition with Examples, Special Cases, Preparation Tips and Exercises with Answers

In simple language, Intransitive Verb doesn't "act on" anything or anyone. These verbs don’t require a direct object to complete its meaning. They express a complete thought without needing an object to clarify their meaning. While intransitive verbs don't take direct objects, they can be followed by other elements like adverbs, prepositional phrases, or adverbial clauses. For examples:

• "The child sings."

Explanation: The verb "sings" doesn't act on anything

• "The baby sleeps."

Explanation: The verb "sleeps" doesn't act on anything

Students should not confuse Intransitive verbs with Transitive verbs which cannot stand alone and need a noun or pronoun to clarify what is being acted upon. It requires direct object to complete its meaning. For example: The dog chased the ball.

On the other hand, Ambitransitive verbs are verbs that can be used both transitively and intransitively, meaning they can take a direct object or function without one. For example: "I read a book" (transitive) vs. "I read at night" (intransitive).

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In Collins Dictionary, an intransitive verb is “a verb that does not require a direct object to complete its meaning. Essentially, it expresses a complete action without acting upon something else.”

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, an intransitive verb is “a verb that does not take a direct object. This means the action of the verb is not performed on a specific noun or pronoun, unlike transitive verbs.”

Intransitive Verb is pronounced as is /ɪnˈtrænzətɪv/.

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Intransitive verbs are verbs that do not require a direct object to complete their meaning. Let’s take a look at different types of Intransitive Verb.

Types of Intransitive Verb	Description	Examples
Action Intransitive Verbs	These verbs describe an action that is complete in itself and doesn't need an object to receive the action.	·       Children are swimming in the pool ·       Meera runs faster than Myra. ·       The baby laughs a lot.
Linking Verbs	These verbs connect the subject to a noun or adjective that describes or identifies it. They don't take a direct object, but rather provide more information about the subject.	·       The cat is sleeping. ·       She was completing her homework. ·       It feels cold tonight.
Auxiliary Verbs (interlinking)	These are helping verbs that combine with other verbs to form tenses, moods, or voices. They can be used with intransitive verbs, but they don't change the intransitive nature of the verb.	·       I have finished my work. ·       I do not like to swim.
Modal Verbs (interlinking)	These verbs express possibility, necessity, or obligation. They can be used with intransitive verbs but do not change their intransitive nature.	·       She can play the piano. ·       May I borrow your pen? ·       It might rain later.
Stative Verbs	These verbs describe states of being, emotions, or opinions. Many stative verbs are intransitive, meaning they don't take a direct object.	·       I understand the instructions. ·       I realize the mistake. ·       I know the answer.

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Some words can be both transitive and intransitive depending upon their context and use case. Let’s take a look at some such words:

• She reads a book.

Explanation: This is Transitive. The verb "reads" acts on the direct object "book”.

• She reads well.

Explanation: This is Intransitive. The verb "reads" does not act on a direct object.

Similarly,

• The athlete runs.

Explanation: This is Intransitive. It is a physical movement and no direct object is involved.

• She runs a business.

Explanation: This is Transitive. This means managing, acting on "business".

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The structure of Intransitive Verb in English grammar typically follows the pattern:

subject + intransitive verb (+ optional modifiers like adverbs or prepositional phrases).

Let’s take a look at it in detail:

No Direct Object 

Intransitive verbs do not have a noun or pronoun that receives the action of the verb. For example: They eat pizza every Friday.” The transitive verb "eat" is acting upon the direct object "pizza."”

Complete Action

They express a complete thought or action without needing an object. For example: "I love my family.": The transitive verb "love" is acting upon the direct object "my family."

Modifiers

Intransitive verbs are followed by adverbs, adverbial phrases, or prepositional phrases that provide more information about the action (e.g., time, place, manner). For example: He painted a canvas last Sunday.": In this sentence, "painted" is the transitive verb, and "canvas" is the direct object that receives the action, and last Sunday is the time information.

Subject-Verb Agreement

Like all verbs, intransitive verbs must agree with their subject in number and person (singular/plural, first/second/third person). For example, “She reads a book.” In this sentence, there is a single girl, hence ‘reads’ is sued.

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So far, it is clear that intransitive verbs do not require a direct object to complete their meaning, and thus they can be identified easily. However, there are cases when some verbs can function as both transitive and intransitive depending on the context. In those cases, it can be difficult and tricky to use and identify Intransitive Verbs. Let’s take a look at some such cases:

Verbs with Dual Functionality 

Many verbs can be either transitive or intransitive, like "run," "eat," and "grow", “sings”. For example:

• She sings beautifully is Intransitive
• She sings a lullaby is transitive
• She eats quickly is Intransitive
• She is eating pizza is transitive

Recognizing Intransitive Verbs in Complex Structures

Prepositional phrases or adverbs can follow intransitive verbs, creating the appearance of a direct object. However, these elements do not receive the action, but modify the verb. For example:

• The boy jumped over the fence," "over the fence" is a prepositional phrase modifying the verb "jumped" and not a direct object. The verb remains intransitive.
• "She sang beautifully," "beautifully" is an adverb modifying the verb "sang," not a direct object.

Verbs Always Intransitive

Some verbs are inherently intransitive, meaning they cannot be used with a direct object. These include "arrive," "go," "lie," "sneeze," "sit," and "die". For example:

• He arrived home at 5:30 pm.
• She is sneezing continuously.

Intransitive Verbs and the Passive Voice

Intransitive verbs cannot be used in the passive voice since the passive voice requires a direct object to become the subject of the passive sentence. For example:

“The dog barked" cannot be turned into the passive voice because "barked" is intransitive.

Intransitive Verbs and Modifiers

Intransitive verbs can be modified by adverbs, adverbial phrases, and prepositional phrases to provide more information about the action. For example:

"He ran quickly," "quickly" modifies the intransitive verb "ran".

"He arrived in Mumbai," "in Mumbai" is a prepositional phrase modifying the intransitive verb "arrived".

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Students should understand that the meaning that the Intransitive Verbs in English are verbs which expresses a complete thought without needing a noun or pronoun, in order to use them correctly in English language.

Here are some more tips to consider in order to understand and use the concept of Intransitive verb correctly in English:

• Practicing questions on Intransitive Verbs is the most effective way to clear the concept. Students should practice questions related to the topic for better clarity. Keep reading and writing the sentences and books and keep looking for relative pronoun in them.
• Students need to understand the definition of Intransitive Verbs so that they can use them in the sentence correctly and accordingly.
• There are many platforms on internet including google and YouTube that have content related to Intransitive Verbs. Some portals and videos explain the concepts in a very easy and understandable way. Put this to good use.

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