intransitive verb
- noun
- /ˌɪntrænˈzɪtɪv vɜrb/
- Specialized
:
verbo intransitivo
- It's important to know whether a verb is transitive or an intransitive verb when learning English grammar.
Examples
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She explained what an intransitive verb is.
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The teacher explained that 'arrive' is an intransitive verb in the sentence, 'She arrived late.'
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Some verbs, like 'sleep', are classified as intransitive verbs because they do not take an object.
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An intransitive verb does not require a direct object.
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An intransitive verb does not take a direct object, such as in the sentence 'He sleeps peacefully.'
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In English, 'arrive' is an example of an intransitive verb because it does not need an object.
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The word 'laugh' is classified as an intransitive verb since you cannot laugh something.
Synonyms
A verb that does not take a noun to receive the action
How Transitive
- Specialized
- Specialized
- Specialized
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun phrase is directly compositional: 'intransitive' (describing verbs that lack direct objects) modifies 'verb', so the overall meaning 'a verb that does not take a direct object' is immediately derivable from the parts. This follows a standard adjective + noun pattern found across languages, making it transparent to learners who know both constituents.
Etymology
The term intransitive verb comes from two parts: in- meaning 'not' and transitive meaning a verb that 'passes' its action to someone or something. So an intransitive verb is like a person acting alone on stage, because the action does not go to an object, which is why it means 'a verb that does not take a direct object'.
