Verb
Group Members
Waleed Israr Satti
Muhammad Yaseen
Outlines
Definition of verb
Transitive verb
Intransitive Verb
What is Verb
According to Wren and Martin:
A Verb is a word that tells or asserts something
about a person or thing.
Verb comes from the Latin verbum, a word. It is so
called because it is the most important word in a
sentence
Examples of Verb
A Verb may tell us-
Harry laughs.
The clock strikes.
2.What is done to a person or thing ; as,
Harry is scolded.
The window is broken.
3. What a person or thing is; as,
The cat is dead.
Glass is brittle.
TransitiveVerbs
According to Wren and Martin:
A Transitive Verb is a Verb that denotes an action
which passes over from the doer or Subject to an
object.
Example:
The boy kicks the football.
In sentence 1, the action denoted by the verb kicks
passes over from the doer or subject boy to some
Object football. The verb kicks is, therefore, called a
Transitive Verb. (Transitive means passing over.)
TransitiveVerbs
Most Transitive Verbs take a single object. But such
Transitive Verbs as give, ask, offer, promise, tell, etc.,
take two objects after them - an Indirect Object which
denotes the person to whom some thing is given or
for whom something is done, and a Direct Object
which is usually the name of some thing, as,
His father gave him (Indirect) a watch (Direct).
He told me (Indirect) a secret (Direct).
Transitively and Intransitively verb
Used Transitively Used Intransitively
The ants fought the Some ants fight very
wasps. fiercely.
The shot sank the ship. The ship sank rapidly.
Ring the bell, Rama The bell rang loudly
He spoke the truth. The train stopped suddenly
He spoke the truth. He spoke haughtily
Verb Used as Reflexively
In such a sentence as The man killed himself ' where the Subject
and the Object both refer to the same person, the verb is said to be
used reflexively.
Sometimes, though the verb is used reflexively. the Object is not
expressed. In the following examples the reflexive pronoun
understood is put in brackets:-
The bubble burst [itself].
The guests made [themselves] merry,
Please keep [yourselves] quiet.
With these words he turned [himself] to the door.
The Japanese feed [themselves] chiefly on rice.
Intransitive Verb
An Intransitive Verb is a Verb that denotes an action
which does not pass over to an object, or which
expresses a state or being ; as,
He ran a long distance. (Action)
The baby sleeps. (State)
There is a flaw in this diamond. (Being)
Note.- Intransitive Verbs expressing being take the
same cases after them as before them
Intransitive verb used as Transitive
Intransitive Transitive
1. Many trees fall in 1. Woodmen fell trees.
the monsoon. (Fell = cause to fall)
2. Lie still. 2. Lay the basket there.
3. Rise early with the (Lay = cause to lie)
lark. 3. Raise your hands.
(Raise = cause to rise)
Class Activity
Identify Transitive and Intransitive Verbs
1. The sun shines brightly.
2. Tell the truth.
3. The clock stopped this morning.
4. The fire burns dimly.
5. We eat three times a day.
6. The dog ran after me.
7. Birds fly in the air.
8. A light rain fell last night.
Answers
1. Intransitive Verb.
2. Transitive Verb.
3. Intransitive Verb.
4. Intransitive Verb.
5. Intransitive Verb.
6. Intransitive Verb.
7. Transitive Verb.
8. Intransitive Verb.
References
NEW EDITION
HIGH SCHOOL English Grammar &
Composition
BY WREN & MARTIN
