Intransitive Verbs 

"Intransitive Verbs" in English Grammar

What are Intransitive Verbs?

Intransitive verbs are those that do not need any complements to express a complete meaning. They come on their own to show the action or state of the subject.

Intransitive Verbs: Characteristics

Intransitive verbs have a number of characteristics that distinguish them from transitive verbs and linking verbs.

No Complement

Intransitive verbs do not take any objects or subject complements. They just follow a subject and show its action or state. Take a look at the examples:

Example

I was sleeping.

He coughed.

No Passive

Intransitive verbs cannot be made passive, since the structure of the passive voice requires a verb complement, typically a direct object or object of preposition, to be brought to the subject position, but intransitive verbs do not have any complement that can be shown to receive the action of the verb.

Example

She read the book. → The book was read by her.

A transitive verb can be made passive by moving the object to the subject position.

She slept. → Was slept by her.

Since there is no object, the passive voice is invalid.

What is Not a Verb Complement?

In order to identify intransitive verbs, you should be able to understand words that come after verbs, but are not verb complements. When such words or phrases are used after verbs, the verb remains intransitive as long as no verb complement is present.

Adverbs

Adverbs are adjuncts that can come after verbs to add information about time, place, manner, etc. These are not essential verb complements. They can be removed from the verb without affecting its grammatical structure and do not make a verb transitive. Look at the examples:

Example

He runs quickly.

This is an adverb of manner, it does not constitute a verb complement and the verb remains intransitive.

They arrived late.

This is an adverb of time, it can be removed without affecting the grammaticality of the sentence.

Prepositional Phrases

Prepositional phrases are another common type of adjunct that, like adverbs, can provide extra information without being essential for the grammatical structure of the sentence. Here are some examples:

Example

The plant died in winter.

He was sitting in silence.

Adjunct vs. Subject Complement

While adverbs and prepositional phrases are adjuncts when used with intransitive verbs, linking verbs can use them as subject complements. This usage is different from the intransitive verb because the adverb or prepositional phrase is actually essential for the meaning of the sentence. Compare the examples:

Example

The children were playing in the garden.

Here, "in the garden" is an adjunct since it provides extra information and can be removed from the sentence without affecting its structure or meaning.

The children are in the garden.

In this sentence, "in the garden" is a subject complement since it is indicating the location of the children after the linking verb "be" and removing it would make the sentence incomplete: "The children are."

Overlaps with Transitive Verbs

Some verbs can be both transitive and intransitive, without any difference in meaning. There are two cases where intransitive verbs and transitive verbs overlap.

Ambitransitive verbs

Ambitransitive Verbs

Ambitransitive verbs are verbs that can be both transitive and intransitive without a change in meaning. The difference between the two usages is that the transitive form is more specific as it provides more information.

Example

She is reading.

This sentence is intransitive. It is grammatically correct and expresses a complete meaning.

She is reading a book.

This is a transitive verb, it has a direct object and specifies the thing that is receiving the action of the verb.

He ate quickly.

Remember that here "quickly" is an adjunct, the verb is intransitive.

He ate the cake.

Ergative Verbs

Like ambitransitive verbs, ergative verbs can be both transitive and intransitive without significant difference in meaning. However, they are different from ambitransitive verbs in that the object of their transitive form is the same as the subject of the intransitive form. In other words, the transitive form expresses an active meaning by identifying the doer of the action, while the intransitive form expresses a passive meaning, focusing on the thing that is affected by the action of the verb without attributing the action to an agent. Here are some examples:

Example

He opened the door.

The door opened.

They started the car.

The car started easily.

Tip!

Some verbs take dummy pronouns as their objects. Although this structure is grammatically transitive, its meaning is more closely related to intransitive verbs as the object is not receiving an actual action and is only used as a placeholder.

Example

We'll never make it to the airport on time.

I didn't get it until he explained again.

Review

Intransitive verbs do not take any verbs complements, but they can take adjuncts. Since they do not have a direct object, they cannot be made passive. Additionally, some verbs can be both transitive and intransitive without a difference in meaning.

Example

I read before bed.

This is an intransitive verb with an adjunct of time.

I read short stories.

This is a transitive verbs with the same meaning.

Quiz:


1.

Which option uses an intransitive verb?

A

She carried the groceries inside.

B

The dog barked loudly in the yard.

C

I fixed the broken chair.

D

We painted the walls blue.

2.

Choose True or False for each statement.

Intransitive verbs require a direct object to complete their meaning.

An intransitive verb can be used in the passive voice.

An adverb following an intransitive verb is considered a verb complement.

Some verbs can be both transitive and intransitive without changing their meaning.

False
True
3.

Match each sentence with the correct description.

He writes every day.
He writes a letter every day.
She closed the window slowly.
The window closed slowly.
Ergative Verb - Transitive use
Ambitransitive Verb - Intransitive use
Ambitransitive Verb - Transitive use
Ergative Verb - Intransitive use
4.

Fill the blanks based on content of the lesson. (There are two extra options.)

Intransitive verbs do not require any

to express a complete meaning.

Intransitive verbs cannot be made

because they do not have a direct object to move to the subject position.

Ergative verbs express an action where the

of the intransitive form is the

of the transitive form.

passive
ambitransitive
object
complements
subject
adjuncts
5.

Which of the following sentences uses an ergative verb?

A

She is reading a book.

B

He opened the door.

C

He ate quickly.

D

The children are playing in the garden.

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