GRAMMAR REVIEW! Transitive & intransitive verbs
What's the difference?
Transitive verbs need a direct object to complete their meaning — something or someone that receives the action.
Example: She kicked the ball.
(What did she kick? The ball.)
Intransitive verbs do not need a direct object — they make complete sense on their own.
Example: He slept peacefully.
(There's no object — "slept" just happened.)
When to use each:
Use a transitive verb when the action is being done to something/someone.
Use an intransitive verb when the action stands alone — it's just happening, not affecting an object.
Quick tips:
Some verbs can be both transitive and intransitive, depending on how they're used in a sentence.
• Eat
Transitive: She ate the cake. (the cake = direct object)
Intransitive: She ate quickly. (no direct object)
• Run
Transitive: He runs a small business. (a small business = direct object)
Intransitive: He runs every morning. (no direct object)
• Break
Transitive: I broke the glass. (the glass = direct object)
Intransitive: The glass broke. (no direct object)
If you can answer "what?" or "whom?" after the verb, it's probably transitive.
If you can't, it's probably intransitive.
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