TRANSITIVE AND INTRANSITIVE VERBS
Mrs. Stephanie Irizarry
A transitive verb is an action verb that sends its action to a noun or
pronoun in the predicate. The receiver of the action is the direct object.
An intransitive verb has NO direct object. The same verb can be
transitive in one sentence and intransitive in another.
VERB TRANSITIVE
INTRANSITIVE
speak The students speak French.
They speak well.
study We study grammar.
We study hard.
Some action verbs are always intransitive. They never have direct objects.
Intransitive Verbs:
Her eyes twinkled.
Carl will listen to her carefully.
TRY IT OUT:
Underline the verb or verb phrase. Write T for transitive verbs and
INT for intransitive verbs. If the verb is transitive, circle the direct
object.
1. Ann’s family brought her birthday present.
2. The watch’s colorful face gleams brightly.
3. Amy wore her new watch to school.
4. The second hand sweeps around the numbers.
5. The numbers glow in the dark.
6. They chose a watch with an orange band.
ON YOUR OWN:
Underline the verb or verb phrase. Write T for transitive verbs and INT for intransitive
verbs. If the verb is transitive, circle the direct object.
1. We laughed at the joke about the flea.
2. Maria explained the joke to them.
3. Berto introduced a new joke to us.
4. Will his sisters remember the rhyme?
5. Mrs. Garcia chuckled very softly.
6. She smiled at us.
7. We delighted the Garcias with Granddad’s funny story.
8. Everyone listened to the beautiful music.
9. The applause surprised Maria.
10. Then Mr. Garcia also played.
BEING VERBS AND LINKING VERBS
- Some verbs do not show action. They show what the subject is or is
like. Verbs called being verbs show a state of being.
Mr. Wong became our principal. He seems kind.
- A being verb is often a linking verb . It links the subject of the
sentence with a word in the predicate that tells more about it.
Mr. Wong feels happy. He had been a teacher for twenty years.
Common Being Verbs and Linking Verbs
am
is
are
was
were
seem
be
being
been
look
become appear
feel
taste
smell
- Linking verbs link the subject with a word in the predicate. The word can
be a predicate noun or a predicate adjective. A predicate noun renames the
subject. A predicate adjective describes the subject.
Predicate
Nouns:
Ms. Ortiz is our coach. (Ms. Ortiz= coach)
She has become my friend. (She= friend)
Predicate
Adjectives:
Mr. Hill was friendly.
He appeared shy to strangers.
- Some verbs can be either linking verbs or action verbs.
Action:
Linking:
Mt. Hill looked at the student murals.
The designs looked colorful and creative.
TRY IT OUT:
Underline the linking verb in each sentence. Circle the
predicate noun or the predicate adjective.
1. The Black Hills are really mountains.
2. Thunderhead Mountain is part of the Black Hills.
3. Someday the mountaintop will become a huge statue.
4. The statue is rough now.
5. The work on it seems slow.
6. The statue will be a profile of Chief Crazy Horse.
“ON YOUR OWN”
Underline the linking verb in each sentence. Circle
the predicate noun or the predicate adjective.
1. My aunt is the author of a comic strip.
2. Her office is busy and colorful.
3. Her special ink smells funny.
4. The characters in her strip are animals.
5. The history of comics seems exciting.