Definition of Transitive-Intransitive Verbs

Intransitive verbs are those that do not require more information and, therefore, are "self-sufficient". They are verbs that give precise and complete information. On the contrary, transitive verbs do need additional information, a clarification that provides meaning to what is being said.

Transitive verbs

A transitive verb is that verb that is necessarily accompanied by a direct object

In other words, transitive verbs refer to actions that require a subject and a complement direct. Thus, in the sentence "Luis has bought some flowers"We have the following elements: Luis is an active subject, he has bought is a verb transitive and some flowers is that on which the action is exerted, that is, it is the direct object. Continuing with the example of the previous sentence, it should be noted that it could be said in a passive voice (some flowers have been bought by Luis) and the same structure of subject and complement would be maintained direct.

Transitive verbs need complementary information. In this way, the verb to search must be accompanied by what is being sought (I am looking for a

friend or we look for a restaurant). The same happens with verbs such as have, buy, like, overcome, do, among many others. From a grammatical point of view, these types of verbs have transitivity, that is, they are oriented towards a certain information, the direct object. In this way, it would not make sense to say "I have" or "we buy", since both verbs need a specification to clarify what I have and what we buy.

Intransitive verbs

Intransitive verbs are verbs that do not need a direct object for a sentence to make full sense

In this way, intransitive verbs express the opposite idea to transitive ones. Some intransitive verbs are flee, think, reason, swim, be born, etc.

However, the same verb can have a transitive or intransitive meaning. Let's see this idea with a concrete example. In the sentence "my friend reads" the verb to read is intransitive because the sentence makes sense, since it is not necessary to say what she reads, but rather refers to the fact that she habitually reads herself. On the other hand, in the sentence "my friend reads horror novels", we are dealing with a verb with a transitive value, since it says what my friend reads. Thus, the same verb may have a transitive or intransitive value, which will depend on the context of the language.

Photos: iStock - Allvisionn / Eva Katalin Kondoros

Topics in Transitive-Intransitive Verbs