Questions tagged [transitivity]
"Transitivity" is the number of Objects a verb takes. 'Intransitive' verbs take no Object; 'transitive verbs' take at least one Object; 'monotransitive' verbs take one Direct Object; and 'ditransitive' verbs take both a Direct Object and an Indirect Object. 'Ambitransitive' verbs may be either transitive or intransitive, and 'middle-voice' or 'labile' verbs may make an Object the Subject in the active voice
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Why is "reckon" transitive in "to reckon to finish by ten" and "to reckon to pay so much"?
In Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary, the entry for "reckon" at sense 3 marks the verb as transitive with two examples as follows:
We reckon to finish by ten.
He wasn’t reckoning to pay ...
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Is "fasten" transitive or intransitive in the sentence "He rose, his eyes still fastened on the piece of paper."?
Longman Online Dictionary gives out the following example sentence:
He rose, his eyes still fastened on the piece of paper.
Source: https://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/fasten-your-eyes-gaze-on-...
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Are there any "ditransitive" ergative verbs in English?
By ergative I mean verbs that can undergo alteration such that the object becomes the subject (reducing the number of arguments by one). E.g.
She broke the vase. -> The vase broke.
Are there ...
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How to know why some transitive phrasal verbs cannot be split
What is the reason that some transitive phrasal verbs with adverb particles cannot be split?
Examples: 'My brother looks after my mother.' Likewise, come across, count on, and such are other ...
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Can "He is an honest man" be passivized?
My friend says that the sentence He is an honest man
can be passivized. My English friends and I are saying that the sentence
can’t be passivized since the verb is intransitive and
there is no object ...
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Can 'eliminate' be used as intransitive verb?
I know the verb 'eliminate' is used only as a transitive verb.
However, I have read some articles which use the verb as an intransitive verb, without any objects.
For example,
Your dog should find a ...
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"speak English" vs "speak in English"
I don't get the chance to speak in English often.
I've been told in doesn't need to be in this sentence, but does its inclusion make the sentence grammatically incorrect?
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Why is "emerged" in "She emerged from the divorce a stronger person" marked only as intransitive but not as linking?
All dictionaries which mark their verbs with the labels: "transitive", "intransitive" and "linking", for some reason, don't write that the verb "emerge" has a ...
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Is "consist" really intransitive?
I recently learned that I cannot use “be consisted of” because it is intransitive verb.
Example:
Water consists of hydrogen and oxygen. (o)
Water is consisted of hydrogen and oxygen. (x)
Water is ...
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Why does the verb "TO LIKE" have to take an object in "yes-or-no answers", when there is no chance of confusion?
A: Do you like coffee?
B: No I dont like. / Yes I like.
We all know B's answer is wrong. Why? Because "TO LIKE" is a transitive verb and it needs an "IT" at the end. However, we ...
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Can the verb "go" take an object (like a transitive verb)?
This is probably a simple question to answer (why or why not), but every answer I see about the verb "go" just says that it is transitive. For example, various websites say that "The ...
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Why is it "you lied TO me" and not "you lied me"
Why do we say
You tricked me
You fooled me
You deceived me
You offended me
You kissed me
And so on and so on
BUT you lied TO me and not you lied me?
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Could "run late" and "run out of something" be transitive verbs
I know "run late" and "run out of something" are usually intransitive verbs.
But could "run late" and "run out of something" be "transitive verbs"?
...
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Questions are raised or raise or rise?
They raised important questions concerning this problem.
Important questions are raised concerning this problem.
Important questions raise concerning this problem.
I know that 1 and 2 are correct. ...
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What is the grammatical structure: "The dog licked the dish clean."
The dog licked the dish clean.
Which rules of grammar does it follow?
Can I interpret the sentence like 'The dish got clean due to dog's licking of the dish' ?
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Understand the verb "provision" with/without an object in IT context
I came across a video about AWS in which the instructor said the following (extracted from its transcript):
EC2 instances are virtual machines that you can provision with minimal friction to get up ...
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Is it possible to use differentiate/change intransitively?
The company tried to differentiate to gain an advantage over the rivals.
The company tried to change to gain an advantage over the rivals.
I wonder if it's correct to use "differentiate" and ...
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distinguish - transitive or intransitive [closed]
Merriam-webster dictionary says that in:
distinguish X from Y - distinguish is transitive
distinguish between X and Y - distinguish is intransitive
Do you agree? If it's true, what's the ...
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Can I use "fail" as intransitive verb in the following way?
according to this source:
"https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fail"
a:to disappoint the expectations or trust of:
her friends failed her
b:to miss performing an expected service or ...
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Is "seep" just intransitive?
I was reading "Tunnels" and I found the next sentence:
...walls were caked with efflorescence and streaked with chalky lime
scale where fissures had seeped moisture.
I looked the word &...
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The difference between "…to {get, arrive, reach, come} here on time."
This is a B2 question taken from an old English test paper. The student has an original sentence and is given a new word which they must use to create a new sentence–using between two and five words–...
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The proper word for 'make it to wobble'
I'm trying to find a proper word for russian 'шатать' (to cause a wobble, to sway, to rock) in context of causing possible damage or instability due to unexpected movements.
The literal meaning of the ...
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Whether the `v.` means both `vi.` and `vt.`?
Does the "v." in a dictionary mean both "vi." and "vt."?
We know in dictionary, "vi." means intransitive verbs, and "vt." means "transitive verbs&...
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Can "trust" and "dismiss" be used without an object?
a. You are a bit too quick to dismiss.
b. Do not be so quick to dismiss.
c. You have a tendency to trust.
d. You trust too much.
Are the above sentences grammatically correct?
I think 'dismiss' and '...
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Can coats button themselves? (Active vs. Passive)
While doing copywork today, I came across this sentence:
Tall and well made, the men dressed in dark silk coats that buttoned down the sides of the chest and were elaborately embroidered in silver or ...
Steven Nadella
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"My room bulb blew out/fused" "How does candle blow out" [closed]
I think "My room bulb blew out/fused" is wrong. Shouldn't it be: "My room bulb has been blown/fused"? A bulb cannot blow or fuse itself. Doesn't it require an object to blow/fuse ...
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Can subjects be used as objects? [duplicate]
This robot is designed to play with. (The robot is designed for being played, so I can play with the robot.)
This water is too hot to drink. (The water is too hot, so I cannot drink the water.)
“Play ...
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throws 'noun' into, and throwing into 'noun'
I am wondering if there are alternatives to the classic throw 'noun' into,
something that does not require that middle noun?
Would this still work for ex :
She stops, violently throwing into a pond ...
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Intransitive verb “throw.”
I found out “throw” can be intransitive, so can “I throw at the target” be used instead of “I throw the ball at the target”?
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Is it true that if an action verb or stative verb is immediately followed by a preposition it is intransitive?
"If an action verb or a stative verb is immediately followed by a preposition, it is intransitive."
For example:
I left for work.
I was thinking about you.
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"So as to make difficult the test" or "So as to make the test difficult"
Can one use (a) instead of (b)?
a. We changed the questions so as to make difficult the test.
b. We changed the questions so as to make the test difficult.
Or can one use (c) instead of (d)?
c. We ...
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Are prepositional verbs transitive verbs?
Are prepositional verbs transitive verbs?
I ask that because some prepositional verbs can become passive verbs and the “object of preposition” can become the “subject” of passive prepositional verb.
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Are transitive verb phrases intransitive verbs?
Are transitive verb phrases intransitive verbs?
I think I’m asking that probably because some transitive verb phrases goes before prepositions.
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Can gut be used transitively? [duplicate]
It gutted him to see her suffer like that.
Can gut be used transitively like this?
Or should I rephrase my sentence like this?
It left him gutted to see her suffer like that.
I looked up the word ...
user126190
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"complete" as an intransitive verb?
I came across this sentence somewhere:
This dictionary took three years to complete.
Clearly, it means '[...] took three years to be completed'.
Is this sentence correct? And if so, how can the use ...
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Is this sentence meaningful?
Is this sentence correct?
I felt the tea hot.
Is felt or feel used like this?
user126190
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How does "sell out" work? How to understand it?
I find the phrasal verb "sell out" a bit confusing.
Which is/are wrong?
We're sold out.
We're sold out of X.
We sold out.
We sold out of Y.
Tickets have sold out.
Tickets have been sold out....
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Is it right to say "you wanna join?" to invite someone to join me for the activity
Is it right to say "you wanna join?" to invite someone to join me for the activity? Is it causal English or not grammatical at all. thanks. I know it's correct to say "you wanna join me?...
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Can we really use lap as an intransitive verb?
She lapped with a flat tongue from top to bottom, over and over again
lathering it with her saliva.
I would personally say "lapped it with", but it seems we can use the verb as an ...
user88427
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When change is transitive and in which situations intransitive
I'm not sure when exactly the verb "change" can be passive or not. With googling, I figured out that it could not be passive when you are talking about a change happening in someone's ...
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"Object to" phrasal verb or not
He objected to the proposal.
The above is a sentence to change into passive voice from a grammar book. The answer was also given.
According to the Oxford dictionary, object is given as intransitive in ...
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Difference between "Give up" and "Give up on"
I gave up the Chinese course. I found it too hard and decided to
learn Italian instead.
I gave up on the Chinese course. I found it too hard and decided to
learn Italian instead.
What is the ...
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To coil or fold or cause to coil or fold
TheFreeDictionary says about "convolute":
intr. & tr.v.
To coil or fold or cause to coil or fold in overlapping whorls.
You can see that article here - convolute
Can you explain to me why ...
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"electricity was suddenly turned off" or "electricity suddenly turned off"
Randall has been writing his paper when the electricity suddenly turned off
The difference between "was turned off" and "turned off"
Can I use present perfect progressive has been if "the electricity ...
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"I have been graduated from XYZ University in ABC-MSc" is correct?
graduate verb is intransitive and as far as I know, this sort of verbs couldn't be used as a passive form. Am I right?
I have strangely seen it is correct in some website like this:
https://answers....
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Difference between transitive and intransitive verb?
Please tell me if the verbs in the following sentences are transitive or intransitive? please give reason.
caterpillar changes into butterfly.
he got angry with his friends.
they were told to keep ...
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Why did not delete the ‘it' in the sentence ' Unless ..., have a professional check it.'
Why did not delete the ‘it' in the sentence ' Unless the owner can present recent certification that the house is free of termites, have a professional check it.'
I think this sentence is not right ...
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"The culture that/in which we inhabit..."
The culture that we inhabit shapes how we think, feel, and act in the most pervasive ways.
The culture in which we inhabit shapes how we think, feel, and act in the most pervasive ways.
Is ...
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Intransitive use of 'break' in "the record will break"
Is the following sentence correct?
That the record will break today is probable.
I found this sentence in a book.
I think the sentence is wrong, because break is a transitive verb in this sense ...
user93387