All English verbs are divided into three big groups of transitive, intransitive and linking verbs. The belonging to one of these groups influences the choice of the object the verb may be followed by: direct, indirect, indirect without a preposition, prepositional object or the complex object. Another reason to know about "transitivity/intransitivity" of a verb is to be able to use the verb in the passive voice. In addition, some verbs such as get, grow, keep, look, and alike, can be also link verbs that will strongly influence the meaning of a sentence.
Correct Answers
- Cheered may be both transitive and intransitive, depending on whether it has an object or not. As a rule, a transitive verb must have an object. Here, cheered is transitive because it has an object, Ruth.
- Cheered may be both transitive and intransitive, depending on whether it has an object or not. As a rule, an intransitive verb does not have an object. Here, cheered is intransitive because it has no object.
Email may be both transitive and intransitive depending on whether it has an object or not.
It is transitive in the first part of the sentence because it has an object, me. It is intransitive in the second part because it has no object.
- The indirect object explains for whom something was done. The indirect object is grandpa. It is for him the fruits were bought.
- The word fruits is the direct object in the sentence. It is the noun the verb buying transfers its action to.
- The transitive verb hit transfers its action to its direct object, John.
- Well cannot be an object, it is an adverb. You cannot transfer the action of work to the adverb. Well is intransitive.
- The verb played has an object, the noun golf. The playing action is transferred to golf. The verb played is therefore transitive.
- Fly is intransitive; it is generally used with adverbs or prepositional phrases. For example, they fly by every afternoon.
- Buy is transitive because as it can transfer its action to an object. For example, We will buy land. etc.
- Lie is intransitive. It is generally used with adverbs or prepositional phrases. For example, I want to lie down.
Love may be both transitive and intransitive depending on whether it has an object or not.
In the first part of the sentence love is transitive because it has an object, her. In the second part it is a noun and not a verb at all.
- Sneeze is intransitive, it cannot transfer its action and does not take an object. You cannot sneeze something. For example, he sneezes often. Here, it is followed by an adverb.
- Fall is intransitive as it cannot transfer its action of falling to an object. You cannot fall something. For example, fall on your knees!. In this case, it is followed by the prepositional phrase on your knees.
- Read is transitive because it can transfer its action to an object.
- Intransitive verbs do not have an object.
The verb applauded does not have an object and therefore is intransitive. - Intransitive verbs do not have an object.
Transitive verbs must have an object. The verb gave is transitive because it has an object, my speech.
- The indirect object explains for whom something was done. The indirect object is him. It is for him the cake was brought.
- The noun cake is the direct object in the sentence. It completes the action expressed by the verb brought.
- Understand may be both transitive and intransitive depending on whether it has an object or not. Understand in this sentence is intransitive because it has no object.
- Understand may be both transitive and intransitive depending on whether it has an object or not. Understand in this sentence is transitive because it has an object, her.
The verb swimming is intransitive because it is followed by the adverb upstream.
Intransitive verbs may be followed by adverbs or prepositional phrases. They cannot transfer their action to the adverbs or prepositional phrases. For example, the action of swimming cannot be transferred to the adverb upstream.
A transitive verbs is followed by its direct object, which is usually a noun or a pronoun. The object receives the verb's action. An intransitive verb does not transfer its action, but may be followed by a prepositional phrase or an adverb.
The verb spoke is intransitive because it is followed by the adverb loudly. It cannot transfer its action to the adverb.
- When we change an active construction into a passive construction, the direct object becomes the subject, the subject becomes an object.
- The action of the verb is directed toward the direct object: the verb passes its action onto the object; the object receives the action of the verb.
- Intransitive verbs do not have objects.
- Intransitive verbs are generally used only in the active voice. For example, the active constructions "she arrived yesterday; it happened to me; they disappeared" (with intransitive verbs "arrive, happen, disappear") cannot be changed into passive constructions.
- Pay is transitive, it can transfer its action to an object. For example, you must pay rent.
- Belong is intransitive as it cannot transfer its action. It can be followed by prepositional phrases or adverbs. Examples: I belong to that group; they belong together.
- Play is transitive because as it can transfer its action to an object. Examples: let's play football; you will play the piano.
- None of the verbs have objects. That means they are all intransitive.
- The general rule of intransitive verbs is that they do not have objects.
The verb wept is intransitive. It has no direct object. - Transitive verbs are followed by direct objects, which are usually nouns or pronouns. Intransitive verbs do not transfer their action but may be followed by prepositional phrases or adverbs.
The verb flew is intransitive because it is followed by the adverb northwards. - Transitive verbs are followed by direct objects, which are usually nouns or pronouns. Intransitive verbs do not transfer their action but may be followed by prepositional phrases or adverbs.
The verb arrived is intransitive. It is followed by after midnight, which is a prepositional phrase.
- Transitive verbs must have an object. The object, usually a noun or pronoun, must be able to receive the verb's action. Took is the transitive verb because it has an object, the bus. The bus can be taken.
- Transitive verbs must have an object. The object, usually a noun or pronoun, must be able to receive the verb's action.
The verb arrived does not have an object, it has a prepositional phrase this morning and is therefore intransitive. Morning can't be arrived.
Transitive verbs are followed by direct objects, which are usually nouns or pronouns. The objects receive the verbs action. Intransitive verbs do not transfer their action but may be followed by prepositional phrases or adverbs.
The verb continued is intransitive because it is followed by a prepositional phrase after the break. It cannot transfer its action to the prepositional phrase.
Pinched may be both transitive and intransitive depending on whether it has an object or not.
It is transitive in the first part of the sentence because it has an object, her. However, it is intransitive in the second part because it has no object.
- The noun Tony is the subject. The subject is the focus of the sentence.
- The phrase his eyes is a subject complement. It describes the subject, Tony.
- The direct object receives an action from a transitive verb. The transitive verb sipped transfers its action to the direct object, the wine.
Transitive verbs are followed by direct objects, which are usually nouns or pronouns. The objects receive the verbs' actions. Intransitive verbs do not transfer their action but may be followed by prepositional phrases or adverbs. The verb leads is intransitive because it is followed by a prepositional phrase to the cave.
Object
- Sam fed the dogs. — direct object (what was fed)
- She sent him a present. — indirect object (who received it)
- She waited for Lucy. — prepositional object (after preposition)
- I gave her a book. — indirect + direct object together
An object is what a verb acts on or directs its action toward. Direct = the thing affected. Indirect = the recipient. Prepositional = after a preposition.
Test: Verb + what/whom? = direct object. Verb + to/for whom? = indirect object. After a preposition? = prepositional object.
Passive voice
- ✅ The meal was cooked by the chef. — passive (action matters)
- ✅ Mistakes were made. — passive, agent hidden (evasive)
- ✅ Active: The chef cooked the meal. — stronger, clearer
- ❌ The report was being been written. — malformed passive
The passive = be + past participle. Object becomes subject. Use it when the doer is unknown, irrelevant, or obvious. Avoid when it hides responsibility or weakens prose.
Formula: find the active object → make it the subject → use be (matching tense) + past participle → optionally add by + agent.
Transitive and intransitive verb
- ✅ She broke the vase. — transitive (needs object)
- ✅ Rivers flow. — intransitive (no object possible)
- ❌ She arrived the airport. — arrive is intransitive (arrived at)
- ✅ The vase broke. / She broke the vase. — ambitransitive
Transitive verbs need a direct object; intransitive verbs can't take one; ambitransitive verbs work both ways. Many errors come from treating intransitive verbs as transitive (explain me ❌) or vice versa.
Rule: can you ask "[verb] WHAT/WHOM?" and get an answer? Yes → transitive. No answer possible → intransitive. Works with or without? → ambitransitive.
Verb
- walk → walk / walks / walked / walked / walking (5 forms, regular)
- go → go / goes / went / gone / going (5 forms, irregular)
- be → am/is/are/was/were/be/being/been (8 forms)
- can → can / could (modal: only 2 forms, no -s, no -ing)
A verb is the one word class every English sentence requires. Carries tense (when), aspect (duration), mood (attitude), and voice (active/passive). Regular verbs add -ed; ~200 irregular verbs have unpredictable past forms.
Key insight: fix your verbs and most grammar problems disappear. Wrong tense, wrong agreement, wrong form — verb errors account for the majority of grammatical mistakes.
A2 | Elementary | Pre-intermediate
- ✅ I went to the cinema yesterday. — past simple
- ✅ I have visited Paris twice. — present perfect (life experience)
- ✅ If it rains, I'll take an umbrella. — first conditional
- ✅ You should see a doctor. — modal for advice
These patterns are A2 — the second CEFR level. At A2 you move past survival phrases into real grammar: past tenses, the present perfect, basic conditionals, and modals for advice/obligation.
Marker: if you can describe yesterday and give simple advice, but struggle with abstractions or nuance, you're at A2.
Medium
- If I were you, I would apologise. — one rule (second conditional), but distractors like was tempt you
- Answers require active thought, not instant pattern recognition
- Vocabulary and context are realistic, not artificially simplified
- Usually tests one rule, but the wrong answers are plausible
Medium marks middle-difficulty challenges: A2–B1, one rule tested, but with realistic distractors that require genuine understanding.
Use "Medium" when Easy feels too obvious but Hard feels overwhelming. This is where most productive learning happens — the sweet spot of difficulty.