Parts of speech are core concepts in English grammar. The parts of speech are different sets of words that have variant functions and purposes. They help make one’s thoughts complete and express them.
Verbs are one such part of speech. They are the words that describe an action taken or done by someone or something. They are very commonly used in everyday life and are an important unit of grammar. However, that is only the basic understanding of verbs. They can be further divided into several classifications. One of them is known as Transitive Verbs.
Let us get into a detailed discussion and learn transitive verbs with proper examples.
What are Transitive Verbs?
Transitive verbs are the verbs that are used to describe an action that has a direct object. It means they indicate the action performed to someone or something directly in a sentence. They can take a direct object.
In simple words, transitive verbs are the type of verbs used to indicate an action with its direct receiver. They are followed by the object that is the thing or person acted upon or who receives the verb’s action.
Let us understand with some basic examples;
Geeta ate noodles for dinner.
Here, “Geeta” is the subject, and the verb is “ate” that indicates her action. Now, notice that the verb mentions that she ate noodles. It becomes the object that receives the action. So “ate” is a transitive verb that precedes an object.
Joe hit Mani with a sharp object.
“Joe” is the subject, and “hit” is the transitive verb followed by a direct object “Mani”.
Some other examples are
- I left my keys back at home.
- Her mother brought gifts for her birthday.
- Dani cleaned all the dishes last night.
- I ate spaghetti for lunch.
- Please pass me the book!
We noticed that transitive verbs can also have an indirect object like “me” preceding the direct object.
Difference between Transitive Verb and Intransitive Verb
Understanding the difference between Transitive verbs and Intransitive Verbs is not very hard. They only have a minor difference. Transitive verbs are verbs that have a direct object while intransitive verbs are the type that is not followed by a direct object.
Let us understand with some examples;
- Harsh bought a pen from the store.
- I cooked chicken curry today.
- My father threw the cards I received.
These are all transitive verbs. They take a direct object.
- I was on time, but sometimes the train leaves early.
- Even though we have space, we play outside.
- The dog was barking the whole night.
These are intransitive because no direct objects are present.
The most important point is that transitive verbs have actions such as:
“xyz sold what?” “xyz ate what?” “xyz hit whom?”
When the answers are not present, they are no longer transitive verbs.
So we see transitive verbs are easy to learn. However, it is necessary to understand the points mentioned thoroughly to avoid any confusion.
