Verbs can be classified according to whether they are transitive or intransitive verbs:
· Intransitive: the verb only has a subject.
For example:
he runs - it falls.
· Transitive: the verb has a subject and a direct object.
For example:
she speaks English - we visit him.
Related Pages:
- Transitive and intransitive verbs
- Exercise on transitive and intransitive verbs
- The verb
- Transitive and intransitive verbs
- Finite verb
- Non-finite verb
- Auxiliary verbs
- Linking verbs
- Parts of speech
- Subject
- Verb
- Predicate
- Direct and indirect objects
- Sentence
Transitive and Intransitive Verbs
Transitive verbs
Transitive verbs are verbs that require one or more objects.
Examples:
- She cut the cake.
- They climbed the mountain.
- He gave her a flower.
The verbs cut, climbed, and gave have objects.
| Transitive verbs | Objects |
| cut | the cake |
| climbed | the mountain |
| gave | her and a flower |
Transitive verbs can be categorized into two types: monotransitive and ditransitive:
- Monotransitive verbs are verbs that require exactly one object.
Example:
He wrote a poem - Ditransitive verbs are verbs that may require two objects, a direct object and an indirect object.
Example:
She offered him (first object) her car (second object).
Intransitive verbs
By contrast, intransitive verbs do not require an object.
Examples:
- They run.
- He died.
- She slept.
- It snows.
The verbs run, died, slept and snows have no objects. They are intransitive.
Related Pages:
- Transitive and intransitive verbs
- Exercise on transitive and intransitive verbs
- The verb
- Transitive and intransitive verbs
- Finite verb
- Non-finite verb
- Auxiliary verbs
- Linking verb
Finite Verbs
What is a finite verb?
A finite verb is a form of a verb that has a subject and exhibit tense and number in an independent clause or sentence. Finite verbs are distinguished from non-finite verbs which do not show a distinction in tense and number, and cannot stand alone as the main verb in an independent clause.
Examples
They watched the match. - They is a subject; watched is a finite verb; the match is an object.
They are watching the match. - They is a subject; are is a finite; watching is a non-finite verb (which does not exhibit tense); the match is an object.
You may also be interested in:
Parts of speech
Subject
Verb
Finite verbs
Non-finite Verbs
Exercise on finite and non-finite verbs
Predicate
Direct and indirect objects
Sentence
Non-Finite Verbs
What is a non-finite verb?
A non- finite verb is a form of a verb that does not have a subject and and does not exhibit tense and number in an independent clause or sentence. In English, the non-finite verb forms are infinitives and gerunds and participles. Non-finite verbs are distinguished fromfinite verbs which show a distinction in tense and number, and may stand alone as the main verb in an independent clause.
Examples
They are writing the letter. - They is a subject; are is a finite; writing is a non-finite verb (which does not exhibit tense nor number); the match is an object.
They wrote the letter. - They is a subject; wrote is a finite verb; the letter is an object.
You may also be interested in:
Parts of speech
Subject
Verb
Finite verbs
Non-finite Verbs
Exercise on finite and non-finite verbs
Predicate
Direct and indirect objects
Sentence
Auxiliary verbs
What are auxiliary verbs?
Basically, auxiliary verbs are function words, a type of closed class which is constituted of words that have a grammatical function as opposed to content words, which are an open class of lexical words. An auxiliary verb is used to add functional or grammatical content to the information expressed by another verb, considered to be the main verb. Auxiliary verbs are also called helping verbs
Examples:
- I am writing a book.
- He has done the work.
- We will be there in a minute.
- Would you help me with this homework?
- Can you open the door?
- Did you visit New York last holiday?
- Do you like chocolate?
- They must get there on time.
List of auxiliary verbs
This is a list of English auxiliary verbs:
- be (am, are, is, was, were, being),
- can,
- could,
- do (did, does, doing),
- have (had, has, having),
- may,
- might,
- must,
- shall,
- should,
- will,
- would
Auxiliary verb or full verb?
To distinguish a full verb from an auxiliary verb, you can carry out the following test:
If the verb
- allows subject-auxiliary inversion
- and can take can take not in the negative form,
then it is an auxiliary verb.
Examples:
- You are going to travel to London. --
Are you going to travel to London?
You are not going to travel to London.
= are is an an auxiliary verb - You see what I mean. --
*See you what I mean.
*You see not what I mean.
= see is not an auxiliary verb; it is a full verb.
(The asterisk * indicates that the sentence is not grammatical.)
Related material:
- Auxiliary verbs
- Auxiliary verbs exercise 1
- Auxiliary verbs exercise 2
Linking verbs
What are linking verbs?
Linking verbs (also referred to as copulas or copular verbs) don't show action like ordinary verbs. They rather link or connect the subject to a subject complement, the part of the sentence that follows the verb. This complement which contains additional information describes and identifies the subject.
Examples:
- Larry looks happy. (looks is a linking verb; happy is a complement that describes and identifies Larry, the subject)
- The play was good. (was is a linking verb; good is a complement that describes and identifies the play, the subject
List of linking verbs
This is a list of common linking verbs:
- appear
- be
- become
- feel
- get
- grow
- look
- prove
- remain
- seem
- smell
- stay
- sound
- taste
- turn
Linking verb?
Some of the verbs listed above can function as linking verbs and as ordinary verbs. One trick that you can use to identify whether a verb is a linking verb or an ordinary verb is to see the relation between the subject and complement. If the relation is indicative of an equal sign (=), then it is a linking verb. Consider the following examples:
- He looks angry. (He = angry | linking verb)
- He looked at the man. (
He = at the man| action verb)
Examples:
look:
- Nadia looked happy. (linking verb)
- Nadia looked at the window. (ordinary verb)
Taste
- The food tastes delicious. (linking verb)
- They tasted the food. (ordinary verb)
Appear
- She appeared quiet. (linking verb)
- She appeared in the room. (ordinary verb)
Related material:
Stative and Dynamic / Action Verbs
