Transitive and intransitive verbs
Transitive and intransitive verbs are two categories that describe whether a verb needs a direct object to complete its meaning. A transitive verb passes its action onto an object, for example "She read the book." An intransitive verb makes complete sense alone, for example "The baby slept," with no object required.
Types of transitive and intransitive verbs
Transitive verbs
These verbs require a direct object to receive the action and complete the sentence's meaning.
e.g. bought a car, raised her hand, borrowed my pen
Intransitive verbs
These verbs express complete meaning without any direct object, though they may be followed by adverbs or prepositional phrases.
e.g. arrived late, laughed loudly, fell asleep
Ditransitive verbs
A special group of transitive verbs that take two objects: an indirect object (usually a person) and a direct object (usually a thing).
e.g. gave her a gift, told us a story, sent him an email
Ambitransitive verbs
Verbs that can function as either transitive or intransitive depending on the sentence, often with a change in meaning or emphasis.
e.g. eat (dinner) / eat quickly, read (a novel) / read every night, grow tomatoes / grow quickly
Rules to remember
- A transitive verb must be followed by a direct object; without one, the sentence feels incomplete, as in *She bought (needs an object like 'a dress').
- An intransitive verb cannot take a direct object; adding one usually creates an error or requires a different verb, such as changing 'arrive' to 'reach'.
- Many verbs can be both transitive and intransitive, so check the specific sentence rather than memorising the verb alone.
- Passive voice can only be formed from transitive verbs, because the object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive one.
- A good dictionary labels verbs as (T) or transitive and (I) or intransitive, and this is worth checking whenever you learn new vocabulary.
Examples in sentences
| Example | How it works |
|---|---|
| The committee approved the proposal. | 'approved' is transitive; 'the proposal' is the direct object receiving the action. |
| The children played in the garden all afternoon. | 'played' is intransitive here; 'in the garden' is a prepositional phrase, not a direct object. |
| My grandmother told me an amazing story about her childhood. | 'told' is ditransitive, taking indirect object 'me' and direct object 'an amazing story'. |
| The economy grew steadily throughout the year. | 'grew' is used intransitively, describing the subject's own change without affecting another entity. |
| The government has grown the economy through new investment policies. | 'grown' is used transitively here, with 'the economy' as the direct object being acted upon. |
| The plane arrived on time despite the storm. | 'arrived' is always intransitive; it never takes a direct object. |
| Researchers discovered a new species in the rainforest. | 'discovered' is transitive; 'a new species' is the direct object of the action. |
Common mistakes
Incorrect: She arrived the airport at noon.
Correct: She arrived at the airport at noon.
Incorrect: He discussed about the problem for an hour.
Correct: He discussed the problem for an hour.
Incorrect: The results were happened last week.
Correct: The results happened last week.
Why this matters for IELTS
In IELTS Writing and Speaking, mixing up transitive and intransitive verbs, such as adding "about" after "discuss" or a preposition after "reach", is a common error that lowers your Grammatical Range and Accuracy score. Examiners notice when verb patterns are used incorrectly even if vocabulary is advanced. Learning which verbs need direct objects, and using ditransitive structures confidently (for example, "The report gives readers a clear overview"), shows precise control of sentence structure and helps you reach band 7 or higher.
Frequently asked questions
What is the main difference between transitive and intransitive verbs?
A transitive verb needs a direct object to complete its meaning, such as 'eat an apple', while an intransitive verb makes sense on its own, such as 'she smiled'.
Can a verb be both transitive and intransitive?
Yes, many verbs, called ambitransitive verbs, can be used either way depending on the sentence, such as 'read' in 'I read the letter' (transitive) and 'I read every night' (intransitive).
How can I tell if a verb is transitive or intransitive?
Check whether the sentence needs an object to make sense; if you can ask 'what?' or 'whom?' after the verb and get an answer from the sentence, it is transitive.
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