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Glite Dictionary
transitiveness

transitiveness

9.8
Whether a verb can take an object, for example 'eat an apple'
  • noun
  • /ˈtrænzɪtɪv nəs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : transitividad
  • In grammar, the transitiveness of a verb indicates whether it needs a direct object.

Examples

  • In English, the transitiveness of a verb affects whether it requires an object.

  • Some verbs change their transitiveness depending on the context in which they are used.

  • Linguists debate the importance of transitiveness in the classification of verbs.

  • The verb's transitiveness determines how it interacts with objects.

  • Understanding transitiveness is crucial for learning grammar.

  • The concept of transitiveness is essential for understanding how verbs function in sentences.

  • Teachers often explain the transitiveness of verbs to help students identify direct objects.

Synonyms

transitivity
vstransitiveness
  • Specialized
8.5

A quality of a verb that shows if it can have a direct object

is narrower and refers only to the positive property of taking a direct object

Surface Forms

transitiveness singular
transitivenesses plural

Morphology

transitiveness = transitive (transparent) = transitive + ness

Formed by the regular noun-forming suffix '-ness' added to the adjective 'transitive', yielding the property of being transitive.

Etymology

The word transitiveness comes from the prefix trans- meaning 'across' and the same root as transit and transfer. It shows whether a verb's action 'goes across' to something, that is, whether the verb 'acts on' a direct object.