Semantic Classification of the Verb (continued) Group 2: Transitive and Intransitive Verbs

Verb

Transitive Intransitive

to read a book, to rise, to grow up,

to open the door to stand

1. Transitive verbs denote an action, which passes over to some person or thing, expressed by an object.

2. Unlike in Russian or Ukrainian languages where they can be followed only by direct objects, in English they can be followed by all kinds of objects:

1. a direct object,

e.g. Peter is planting a tree.

I enjoy reading books.

2. a direct + indirect object,

e.g. Mary sent her sister ( indirect object) a letter (direct object).

3. a prepositional object,

e.g. Mrs. Green looks after her neighbours’ children.

3. Intransitive verbs do not need any objects to complete their meaning,

e.g. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west.

Time flies fast.

4. Many English verbs can be either transitive or intransitive according to the context, in which they are used,

e.g. Little Mary is writing a letter to her friend. (transitive)

Look, Mary is writing very neatly. (intransitive)

Careful! Don’t break this china cup. (transitive)

This sort of china breaks very easily. (intransitive)

Listen, the boys are laughing loudly. (intransitive)

I wonder, what they are laughing at. (transitive)

**TASK 2. Decide if the underlined verbs in the joke below are transitive or intransitive.

Raleigh and his Servant

Sir Walter Raleigh brought home from America to England two important plants—the potato and the tobacco plant. He was probably the first man in England to smoke. It is said that one evening, when he was sitting in his study, smoking a pipe, his servant came in with a letter. This man had never seen anyone smoke and he thought that his master was on fire. So he dropped his letter and ran out of the study crying, "My master is on fire. The smoke is bursting out of his nose and mouth."

Then he quickly went back into the study with a pail of water and threw it all over his master, before Raleigh had time to explain what had happened.

Semantic Classification of the Verb (continued) Group 3: Terminative and Durative Verbs

Verb

Terminative Durative

to open, to come, to read, to walk,

to die to watch

1. Terminative verbs contain the idea that the action they express must come to an end, reaching some point where it has logically to stop.

This group includes such verbs as:

to stop to fall to begin to start to finish to open to close to shut to die to bring to come to find

e.g. When you close (terminative) the front door, don’t put (terminative) the key under the door mat.

2. Durative verbs contain the idea that the action they express may go on indefinitely without reaching any logically necessary final point.

This group includes such verbs as: