Difference between revisions of "Transitivity"
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'''Ditransitive''' verbs can have an [[indirect object]] in addition: "The King gave the hero some land". The indirect object is the thing or person onto or for whom the action of the verb is performed - indirectly. | '''Ditransitive''' verbs can have an [[indirect object]] in addition: "The King gave the hero some land". The indirect object is the thing or person onto or for whom the action of the verb is performed - indirectly. | ||
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Revision as of 14:40, 21 April 2007
Verbs can be classified as transitive and intransitive, according to whether or not they require a direct object: something that the action of the verb is done to.
Intransitive verbs do not have objects. These include to go, to come and most verbs of motion. for example: "I'm going", "She was talking", "The dog barked".
Transitive verbs require an object: "She loves her baby", "he loves her", "dogs chase cats" and "rain benefits crops".
Many verbs can be used both transitively and intransitively: "He was whistling" and "He was whistling a tune" are both possible; as are "she was running" and "she was running a race" (and "she was running the business" - but here the meaning is different).
Ditransitive verbs can have an indirect object in addition: "The King gave the hero some land". The indirect object is the thing or person onto or for whom the action of the verb is performed - indirectly.
For more on this, see Complement.
