TRANSITIVE VERB

A transitive verb has two characteristics. First, it is an action verb, expressing a doable activity
like kick, want, paint, write, eat, clean, etc. Second, it must have a direct object, something or someone who
receives the action of the verb.
Here are some examples of transitive verbs:
Sylvia kicked Juan under the table.
Kicked = transitive verb; Juan = direct object.
J o s h u a   w a n t s   a s m i l e f r o m L e o d i n e , h i s b e a u ti f u l b u t s e r i o u s l a b p a r t n e r .
Wants = transitive verb; smile = direct object.
Cornelius painted the canvas in Jackson Pollock fashion, dribbling bright colors from
a heavily soaked brush.
Painted = transitive verb; canvas = direct object.
Alicia wrote a love poem on a restaurant napkin.
Wrote = transitive verb; poem = direct object.
Antonio eats lima beans drenched in brown gravy.
Eats = transitive verb; lima beans = direct object.
Pinky the poodle cleans the dirty supper dishes with his tongue before
Grandma loads the "prewashed" items into dishwasher.
Cleans, loads = transitive verbs; dishes, items = direct objects.
Important note: When no direct object follows an action verb, the verb is intransitive.
THE INTRANSITIVE VERB
R e c o g n i z e a n i n t r a n s i ti v e v e r b w h e n y o u s e e o n e .
An intransitive verb has two characteristics. First, it is an action verb, expressing a doable activity
like arrive, go, lie, sneeze, sit, die, etc. Second, unlike a transitive verb, it will not have a direct
object receiving the action.
Here are some examples of intransitive verbs:
H u ffi n g a n d p u ffi n g , w e   a r r i v e d   a t t h e c l a s s r o o m d o o r w i t h o n l y s e v e n s e c o n d s t o
spare.
Arrived = intransitive verb.
James went to the campus cafe for a steaming bowl of squid eyeball stew.
Went = intransitive verb.
To escape the midday sun, the cats  lie in the shade under our cars.
Lie = intransitive verb.
Around fresh ground pepper, Sheryl  sneezes with violence.
Sneezes = intransitive verb.
In the evenings, Glenda  sits on the front porch to admire her immaculate lawn.
Sits = intransitive verb.
F l i p p e d o n i t s b a c k , t h e b e e t l e t h a t C l a r a s o a k e d w i t h i n s e c ti c i d e   d i e s   u n d e r t h e
refrigerator.
Dies = intransitive verb.
R e a l i z e t h a t m a n y v e r b s c a n b e b o t h t r a n s i ti v e a n d i n t r a n s i ti v e .
An action verb with a direct object is transitive while an action verb with no direct object is intransitive. Some
verbs, such as arrive, go, lie, sneeze, sit, and die, are always intransitive; it is impossible for a direct object to
follow.
Other action verbs, however, can be transitive or intransitive, depending on what follows in the sentence.
Compare these examples:
Because of blood sugar problems, Rosa always  eats before leaving for school.
Eats = intransitive verb.
I f t h e r e i s n o l e ft o v e r p i z z a , R o s a u s u a l l y   e a t s   w h o l e - g r a i n c e r e a l .
Eats = transitive verb; cereal = direct object.
D u r i n g c r o s s - c o u n t r y p r a c ti c e , D a m i e n   r u n s   o v e r h i l l s , t h r o u g h fi e l d s , a c r o s s t h e
river, and along the highway.
Runs = intransitive verb.
I n t h e s p r i n g , D a m i e n   w i l l r u n   h i s fi r s t m a r a t h o n .
Will run = transitive verb; marathon = direct object.
DIRECTIVE OBJECT
A direct object will follow a transitive verb [a type of action verb]. Direct objects can
be nouns, pronouns, phrases, or clauses. If you can identify the subject and verb in a sentence, then finding
the direct object—if one exists—is easy. Just remember this simple formula:
S U B J E C T  +  V E R B  + what? or who? =  D I R E C T O B J E C T
Here are examples of the formula in action:
Zippy and Maurice played  soccer with a grapefruit pulled from a backyard tree.
Zippy, Maurice = subjects; played = verb. Zippy and Maurice played what? Soccer = direct object.
Zippy accidentally kicked Maurice in the shin.
Zippy = subject; kicked = verb. Zippy kicked who? Maurice = direct object.
Sometimes direct objects are single words like soccer and Maurice; other times they are phrases or clauses.
The formula nevertheless works the same.
S y l i n a h a t e s   b i ti n g h e r fi n g e r n a i l s .
Sylina = subject; hates = verb. Sylina hates what? Biting her fingernails [a gerund phrase] = direct object.
Even worse, Sylina hates when Mom lectures her about hand care .
Sylina = subject; hates = verb. Sylina hates what? When Mom lectures her about hand care [a subordinate
clause] = direct object.
Direct objects can also follow verbals—infinitives, gerunds, and participles. Use this abbreviated version of
the formula:
verbal + what? or who? = direct object
Here are some examples:
T o s e e   m a g n i fi e d b l o o d c e l l s , G u s s q u i n t e d i n t o t h e m i c r o s c o p e o n t h e l a b t a b l e .
To see = infinitive. To see what? Blood cells = direct object.
G u s b o u g h t c o n t a c t l e n s e s b e c a u s e h e w a n t e d t o s e e   t h e b e a u ti f u l M i r a n d a , h i s l a b
partner, more clearly.
To see = infinitive. To see who? The beautiful Miranda = direct object.
D r a g g i n g   h e r s e v e n t y - fi v e p o u n d G e r m a n s h e p h e r d t h r o u g h t h e d o o r i s R o s e a n n e ' s
least favorite part of going to the vet.
Dragging = gerund. Dragging what? Her seventy-five pound German shepherd = direct object.
Heaping his plate with fried chicken, Clyde winked at Delores, the cook.
Heaping = participle. Heaping what? His plate = direct object.
Don't mistake a direct object for a subject complement.
Only action verbs can have direct objects. If the verb is linking, then the word that answers
the what? or who? question is a subject complement.
The space alien from the planet Zortek accidentally locked  his keys in his space ship.
Alien = subject; locked = action verb. The space alien locked what? His keys = direct object.
T h e s p a c e a l i e n w a s   h a p p y   t o fi n d a s p a r e k e y t a p e d u n d e r t h e w i n g .
Alien = subject; was = linking verb. The space alien was what? Happy= subject complement.
Don't use subject pronouns as direct objects.
The chart below contains subject and object pronouns. Because direct objects are objects, always use the
objective form of the pronoun when you need a direct object.
Subject Pronouns Object Pronouns

I me
we us
you you
he, she, it him, her, it
they them
who whom
Check out these sample sentences:
A ft e r I g i v e m y d o g O r e o a s c o o p o f p e a n u t b u tt e r , s h e a l w a y s k i s s e s   m e   w i t h h e r
s ti c k y t o n g u e .
She = subject; kisses = verb. She kisses who? Me = direct object.
B e c a u s e J o h a d s k i p p e d M r . D u n c a n ' s c l a s s fi v e ti m e s i n a r o w , s h e d u c k e d o u t o f
s i g h t w h e n e v e r s h e s p o tt e d   h i m   o n c a m p u s .
She = subject; spotted = verb. She spotted who? Him = direct object.
B e c a u s e D a v i d w a s a l w a y s e a ti n g h e r f o o d , T h e r e s a s n e a k e d c o r n c h i p s a n d c a n d y
bars into her room and hid  them in the clothes hamper.
Theresa = subject; hid = verb. Theresa hid what? Them = direct object.
THE INDIRECT OBJECT
Recognize an indirect object when you see one.
Indirect objects are rare. You can read for pages before you encounter one. For an indirect object to appear, a
sentence must first have a direct object.
Direct objects follow transitive verbs [a type of action verb]. If you can identify the subject and verb in a
sentence, then finding the direct object—if one exists—is easy. Just remember this simple formula:
S U B J E C T  +  V E R B  + what? or who? =  D I R E C T O B J E C T
Here are examples of the formula in action:
Jim built a sandcastle on the beach.
Jim = subject; built = verb. Jim built what? Sandcastle = direct object.
Sammy and Maria brought  Billie Lou to the party.
Sammy, Maria = subjects; brought = verb. Sammy and Maria brought who? Billie Lou = direct object.
To explain the broken lamp, we told a  lie.
We = subject; told = verb. We told what? Lie = direct object.
When someone [or something] gets the direct object, that word is the indirectobject. Look at these new
versions of the sentences above:
Jim built his granddaughter a sandcastle on the beach.
Jim = subject; built = verb. Jim built what? Sandcastle = direct object. Who got the
sandcastle? Granddaughter = indirect object.
So that Darren would have company at the party, Sammy and Maria
brought him a blind date.
Sammy, Maria = subjects; brought = verb. Sammy and Maria brought who? Blind date = direct object. Who
got the blind date? Him = indirect object.
To explain the broken lamp, we told  Mom a lie.
We = subject; told = verb. We told what? Lie = direct object. Who got the lie? Mom = indirect object.
Sometimes, the indirect object will occur in a prepositional phrase beginning with to or for. Read these two
sentences:
T o m a s p a i d   t h e m e c h a n i c   2 0 0 d o l l a r s t o fi x t h e s q u e a k y b r a k e s .
T o m a s p a i d 2 0 0 d o l l a r s   t o t h e m e c h a n i c   t o fi x t h e s q u e a k y b r a k e s .
In both versions, the mechanic [the indirect object] gets the 200 dollars [the direct object].
When the direct object is a pronoun rather than a noun, putting the indirect object in a prepositional phrase
becomes a necessary modification. The preposition smoothes out the sentence so that it sounds natural.
Check out these examples:
L e s l i e d i d n ' t h a v e a n y m o n e y f o r a s a n d w i c h , s o S m i tt y p u r c h a s e d   h e r   i t .
Blech! That version sounds awful! But now try the sentence with the indirect object after a preposition:
L e s l i e d i d n ' t h a v e a n y m o n e y f o r a s a n d w i c h , s o S m i tt y p u r c h a s e d i t   f o r h e r .
Locating the indirect object her in a prepositional phrase lets the sentence sound natural! Now read this
example:
A ft e r M i c h a e l t o o k g e n e r o u s s p o o n f u l s o f s t u ffi n g , h e p a s s e d   u s   i t .
Ewww! This version sounds awful too! But with a quick fix, we can solve the problem:
A ft e r M i c h a e l t o o k g e n e r o u s s p o o n f u l s o f s t u ffi n g , h e p a s s e d i t   t o u s .
With the indirect object us in a prepositional phrase, we have an improvement!