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<p><img alt="Icon of figure doing flying kick" height="150" src="https://data.ulearngo.com/assets/d66d583f-0114-4f45-98ca-23458ed2ba42" width="192"/></p>
<p>Active verbs are the simplest type of verb: they simply express some sort of action. Watch this video introduction to verbs:</p>
<p><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0T9xMqvjdLk?feature=oembed" width="500"></iframe></p>
<p>Let’s look at the example verbs from the video one more time:</p>
<ul>
<li><em>contain</em></li>
<li><em>roars</em></li>
<li><em>runs</em></li>
<li><em>sleeps</em></li>
</ul>
<p>All of these verbs are active verbs: they all express an action.</p>
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<h3>Example</h3>
<p>Identify the active verbs in the following sentences:</p>
<ol>
<li>Dominic paints the best pictures of meerkats.</li>
<li>Sean’s hair curled really well today.</li>
<li>Elephants roam the savanna.</li>
<li>Billy ate an entire loaf of bread in one sitting.</li>
</ol>
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<h3>Answer</h3>
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<ol>
<li>Dominic <strong>paints</strong> the best pictures of meerkats.</li>
<li>Sean’s hair <strong>curled</strong> really well today.</li>
<li>Elephants <strong>roam</strong> the savanna.</li>
<li>Billy <strong>ate</strong> an entire loaf of bread in one sitting.</li>
</ol>
</div>
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<h2>Transitive and Intransitive Verbs</h2>
<p>Active verbs can be divided into two categories: transitive and intransitive verbs. A <strong>transitive verb</strong> is a verb that requires one or more objects. This contrasts with intransitive verbs, which do not have objects.</p>
<p>It might be helpful to think of it this way: transitive verbs have to be <em>done to</em> something or someone in the sentence. Intransitive verbs only have to be done <em>by</em> someone.</p>
<p>Let’s look at a few examples of transitive verbs:</p>
<ul>
<li>We are going to <strong>need</strong> a bigger boat.

<ul>
<li>The object in this sentence is the phrase “a bigger boat.” Consider how incomplete the thought would be if the sentence only said “We are going to need.” Despite having a subject and a verb, the sentence is meaningless without the object phrase.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>She hates <strong>filling out</strong> forms.

<ul>
<li>Again, leaving out the object would cripple the meaning of the sentence. We have to know that <em>forms</em> is what she hates filling out.</li>
<li><em>Hates</em> is also a transitive verb. Without the phrase “filling out forms,” the phrase “She hates” doesn’t make any sense.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Sean <strong>hugged</strong> his brother David.

<ul>
<li>You can see the pattern. . . . <em>Hugged</em> in this sentence is only useful if we know who Sean squeezed. David is the object of the transitive verb.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p>Intransitive verbs, on the other do not take an object.</p>
<ul>
<li>John <strong>sneezed</strong> loudly.

<ul>
<li>Even though there’s another word after <em>sneezed</em>, the full meaning of the sentence is available with just the subject <em>John</em> and the verb <em>sneezed</em>: “John sneezed.” Therefore, <em>sneezed</em> is an intransitive verb. It doesn’t have to be done to something or someone.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>My computer completely <strong>died</strong>.

<ul>
<li>Again, <em>died</em> here is enough for the sentence to make sense. We know that the computer (the subject) is what died.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p>This video provides a more in-depth explanation of transitive and intransitive verbs and how they work:</p>
<p><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CFdl1oC1vtQ?feature=oembed" width="500"></iframe></p>
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<p><strong>Note:</strong> there are some verbs that can act as both transitive and intransitive verbs (the video defined these as bitransitive verbs):</p>
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Intransitive</th>
<th>Transitive</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>The fire has <strong>burned</strong> for hundreds of years.</td>
<td>Miranda <strong>burned</strong> all of her old school papers.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Don’t let the engine stop <strong>running</strong>!</td>
<td>Karl <strong>ran</strong> the best horse track this side of the river.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>The vase <strong>broke</strong>.</td>
<td>She <strong>broke</strong> the toothpick.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Does your dog <strong>bite</strong>?</td>
<td>The cat <strong>bit</strong> him.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Water <strong>evaporates</strong> when it’s hot.</td>
<td>Heat <strong>evaporates</strong> water.</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
<div class="ns-school-defn2">
<h3>Example</h3>
<p>Read the following sentences. Are the verbs in each transitive or intransitive?</p>
<ol>
<li>Liv fell out of the car.</li>
<li>Ian has written over four hundred articles on the subject.</li>
<li>Christopher sings really well.</li>
<li>Marton wondered about a lot of things.</li>
<li>Cate gave great gifts.</li>
</ol>
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<h3>Answer</h3>
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<ol>
<li>Alba <strong>fell</strong> out of the car. <em>Fell</em> is intransitive; it doesn’t require an object.</li>
<li>Ian <strong>has written</strong> over four hundred articles on the subject. <em>Has written</em> is transitive; it has an object: <em>articles</em>.</li>
<li>Javier <strong>sings</strong> really well. <em>Sings</em> is intransitive; it doesn’t require an object.

<ul>
<li>Note that <em>sings</em> can also be a transitive verb. In the sentence “Lorena sang three songs in the show last night,” the verb <em>sing</em> has the object <em>songs</em>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Marton <strong>wondered</strong> about a lot of things. <em>Wondered</em> is intransitive; it doesn’t require an object.</li>
<li>Cate <strong>gave</strong> great gifts. <em>Gave</em> is transitive; it has an object:<em> gifts</em>.</li>
</ol>
</div>
</div>
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<h2>Multi-Word Verbs</h2>
<p>Multi-word verbs a subclass of active verbs. They are made up of multiple words, as you might have guessed. They include things like <em>stirfry</em>, <em>kickstart</em>, and <em>turn in</em>. Multi-word verbs often have a slightly different meaning than their base parts. Take a look at the difference between the next two sentences:</p>
<ul>
<li>Ben carried the boxes out of the house.</li>
<li>Ben carried out the task well.</li>
</ul>
<p>The first sentence uses a single word verb (<em>carried</em>) and the preposition <em>out</em>. If you remove the preposition (and its object), you get “Ben carried the boxes,” which makes perfect sense. In the second sentence, <em>carried out</em> acts as a single entity. If you remove <em>out</em>, the sentence has no meaning: “Ben carried the task well” doesn’t make sense.</p>
<p>Let’s look at another example:</p>
<ul>
<li>She’s been shut up in there for years.</li>
<li>Dude, shut up.</li>
</ul>
<p>Can you see how the same principles apply here? Other multi-word verbs include <em>find out</em>, <em>make off with</em>, <em>turn in</em>, and <em>put up with</em>.</p>
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Active Verbs

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Active Verbs

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