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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Is "bother" an ergative verb?
I have this list for comparing verbs for their being ergative or not. As you see, bother is not on that list. But I have sentences in which that verb seems to be ergative.
For example:
She may bother ...
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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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Can all transitive verbs take to-infinitive clauses?
“Yet it would be your duty to bear it, if you could not avoid it: it
is weak and silly to say you cannot bear what it is your fate to be
required to bear. (Jane Eyre)
It seems ‘your fate to be ...
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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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Why the answer is "that" in "The area that the city now occupies..."?
Here is my test:
The area ....... the city now occupies was originally swampland.
A. that
B. where
C. on which
D. on that
I chose B, but the answer is A. Can you explain it to 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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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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Is this sentence meaningful?
Is this sentence correct?
I felt the tea hot.
Is felt or feel used like this?
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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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How to differentiate between a transitive and intransitive verb?
My teacher told me that some verbs are transitive and they requires an object after them.
She gave me a long list of transitive and intransitive verbs to learn. Can anyone give me the logic why a ...
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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 ...
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Is 'dream' a transitive verb or intransitive verb?
I dream of winning a gold medal in next Olympics.
Is the verb – dream – in this sentence transitive or intransitive? If it happens to be transitive, how can we passivize the sentence? I ...
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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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Passive construction(for infinitive verb)
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Active voice: He expects me to help him.
Passive(book answer): He expects to be helped by me.
Passive(my answer): It is expected by him that i should help him.
passive(my answer): It is expected by ...
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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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'Agree terms' or 'Agree TO terms'?
I have had a disagreement with a teacher over the correct structure of a sentence.
My teacher said that the sentence "...and if they agree terms, they will have a deal." is correct. However, this ...
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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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When do we use tell+infinitive with to ? (Not tell + object + to)
I'm looking for an example of using 'tell + infinitive with to'.
My book said 'tell' can be used with infinitive to, but didn't give me an example. I think that it generally comes 'tell+object+...
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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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The intransitive word "disagree"
The word "disagree" is intransitive so why in this sentence
It is unusual for you and Tom to disagree"
is there no "with" or "upon" to follow it?
Is its meaning the same as "It is unusual for you ...
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Consult VS Consult with
Can you guys help me out with the correct usage of "To consult"? Very often, I've seen people using "to consult with someone or something." If you could please give me some examples, that would be ...
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"see the example below for understanding" versus "see the example below to understand"
Which sentence would sound more natural? Are both of them grammatically correct? Which do you think is more correct?
See the example below for understanding how it works.
See the example below to ...
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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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"Reply him" or "reply to him"
I always say sentences like "Reply him that you will deliver the report later". A friend of mine who is rather particular about English grammar says it should be "Reply to him that [...]". Is this ...
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"In order to help serve you better..."
This sentence is from a Japanese book for English language learners. It's a transcript of a public announcement recording. I was asked whether the sentence is correct.
I am not a native speaker and ...
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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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Transitive verbs VS intransitive verbs
As per my knowledge:
A transitive verb takes a direct object.
Some examples:
I watched a movie.
He played cricket.
An intransitive verb does not take a direct object.
Some examples:
...
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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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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 ...
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Picture Someone Engaging VS Engaged
I looked up the word "picture" in the dictionary and it is usually said "Picture someone doing something".
Shouldn't the word "engaged" be "engaging" in the following sentence?
Perhaps you’re ...
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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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You also can reach us easily Or You also can reach TO us easily
"You also can reach us easily"
"You also can reach to us easily"
Using the "to" would be grammatical?
Added : When we ask them to email us or call us - "You also can reach (to) us easily by [email] ...
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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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