Transitive Verb in English: Definition with Examples, Special Cases, How to Use & Exercises with Answers

A transitive verb "transfers" its action to something or someone. These verbs cannot complete their meaning in a sentence without the assistance of direct object that could be a noun or a pronoun.

If we breakdown the meaning of transitive verbs, it will be as follows:

Requires a Direct Object: The direct object answers the question "what?" or "whom?" after the verb.

Completes the Action: Without the direct object, the sentence's meaning is incomplete.

Examples:

• She wrote a letter.

Here: The verb "wrote" is transitive, and "letter" is the direct object.

• He built a house.

Here: The verb "built" is transitive, and "house" is the direct object.

• She reads a book.

Here: The verb "reads" is transitive, and "book" is the direct object.

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A transitive verb, according to the Cambridge Dictionary, is “a verb that requires a direct object to complete its meaning. In other words, the action of the verb is performed on something or someone, and that "something" or "someone" is the direct object.”

The Collins Dictionary defines a transitive verb as “a verb accompanied by a direct object and from which a passive can be formed, as 'deny', 'rectify', 'elect'”.

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary gives a similar definition. According to them, a transitive verb is “characterised by having or containing a direct object”.

The word "transitive" is pronounced as ˈtrænzɪtɪv or ˈtrænzətɪv, according to Merriam-Webster and Oxford Learner's Dictionaries.

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Based on the number and type of objects they take, Transitive verbs can be categorized into three types, in English:

• Monotransitive
• Ditransitive
• Complex

Let’s take a look at them in detail:

Type of Transitive Verb	Description	Example
Monotransitive Verbs	These verbs require a single object to complete their meaning.	“She reads a book," the verb "reads" is monotransitive, and "book" is the direct object.
Ditransitive Verbs	These verbs take two objects: a direct object and an indirect object	"He gave her a gift," "gave" is ditransitive, "her" is the indirect object, and "gift" is the direct object.
Complex-Transitive Verbs	These verbs take a direct object and an object complement, which further describes the direct object.	"They considered him intelligent," where "considered" is complex-transitive, "him" is the direct object, and "intelligent" is the object complement.

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In English grammar, a transitive verb needs a direct object to complete its meaning.

• Subject: The noun or pronoun performing the action.
• Transitive Verb: The verb that needs a direct object.
• Direct Object: The noun or pronoun that receives the action of the verb.

For example:

Example 1: The teacher gave the students the report cards.

• "teacher" is the subject.
• "gave" is the transitive verb.
• "report card" is the direct object (what was given).
• "students" is the indirect object (who received the menu).

Example 2: They played football.

• Played is the transitive verb
• football is the direct object

Example 3: The lion chased the deer.

• Chased is the verb
• Deer is the direct object

Now that you have understood the structure of transitive verbs, here are some rules, that students should follow to use them correctly in English sentences:

Requires a Direct Object 

A transitive verb need to be followed by a direct object, which is the noun or pronoun that receives the action of the verb.  Example:

• She reads a book.
• He wrote a paragraph.
• They ate pasta.

Can Be Used in the Passive Voice

Transitive verbs can be transformed into the passive voice, where the object becomes the subject. Example:

• The food was eaten by her.
• The ball was kicked by the boy.
• The canvas was painted by the artist.

May Also Have an Indirect Object

Some transitive verbs can have both a direct and indirect object. Example:

• He gave her a book. (where "her" is the indirect object and "a book" is the direct object).
• He sent his friend a letter.
• She gave her sister a gift.

Distinction from Intransitive Verbs

Intransitive verbs do not take a direct object. They express actions that don't transfer to another entity. Example:

• She smiles. (The verb "smiles" is intransitive, no direct object is needed).
• The baby sleeps.
• The sun shines.

 

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While transitive verbs generally require a direct object to complete their meaning, some verbs, like linking verbs and some impersonal verbs are sometimes used transitively but are inherently intransitive and never take a direct object.

Linking Verbs 

Linking verbs connect the subject to a noun or adjective that renames or describes it. They are: be, seem, appear, become, feel, look, remain, sound, taste. For example:

• The cake tastes delicious.
• He became a doctor.
• The answer appears incorrect.

Impersonal verbs

Impersonal verbs indicate natural phenomena and do not have a subject that performs the action. They are: snow, rain, thunder, hail.  For example:

• It snowed heavily last night.
• It is raining.

Prepositional Phrases or Adverbs

Verbs followed by prepositional phrases or adverbs are not considered transitive. These elements modify the verb but do not receive the action. Example:

• The cat sat on the mat. (The prepositional phrase "on the mat" modifies "sat" but does not receive the action)

Informal Language

Some verbs may be used transitively in informal language when they are typically intransitive. Example: "They clicked." (Intransitive, informal, means they got along) vs. "They clicked the button." (Transitive, means they pressed a button)

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To correctly use Transitive Verbs in English language, students should understand that the meaning that the Transitive Verbs in English are verbs that cannot stand alone and needs a noun or pronoun to clarify what is being acted upon. It requires direct object that requires a to complete its meaning.

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

• Practicing questions on Transitive 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 Transitive 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 Transitive Verbs. Some portals and videos explain the concepts in a very easy and understandable way. Put this to good use.

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Since a transitive verb needs a direct object to receive the action of the verb, the simple way to identify it in a sentence is to ask a question, "What" or "whom" receives the action of the verb? The answer is the Transitive Verb.

Here’s how you can look for transitive verbs, in detail: 

Look for an object 

A transitive verb will always have a direct object, which is the noun or pronoun that receives the action of the verb. For example:

The lion chased the deer. (Chase what? The deer)

Ask "what" or "whom"

If you can answer the questions "what" or "whom" after the verb, it's likely a transitive verb. For example:

• The teacher gave the students a test. The verb "gave" is transitive, and you can answer "what" with "a test".
• The dog barked. (Bark what? The verb doesn't require an object, hence it is not transitive)

Test with a simple sentence

If you can form a grammatically correct sentence with only the subject and verb, the verb is likely intransitive. For example:

The baby eats, is grammatically correct without an object, making "eats" intransitive.

Consider context

Some verbs can be both transitive and intransitive, depending on the context they are used in. For example:

‘Read’ can be transitive (She read a book) or intransitive (She read quickly).

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