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Guilherme Mazui

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What is the Difference Between Transitive and Intransitive Verbs?

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The difference between transitive and intransitive verbs lies in their ability to take a direct object or not.

  • Transitive verbs require a direct object to complete their action. In other words, these verbs need an object to make sense in a sentence. For example, in the sentence "The director buys his lunch," the verb "buys" is transitive because it requires the direct object "his lunch" to make sense.
  • Intransitive verbs do not require a direct object to make sense. These verbs can stand alone without needing an object to complete their action. For example, in the sentence "Nadira ran to hide," the verb "ran" is intransitive because it does not require an object to make sense.

Many verbs can be both transitive and intransitive, depending on the context. For instance, the verb "grow" is transitive in the sentence "My daughter is growing quickly" (requiring the direct object "daughter"), but it is intransitive in the sentence "I grow zucchini in my garden".

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  • What is the Difference Between Transitive and Intransitive Verbs?
  • Comparative Table: Transitive vs Intransitive Verbs

    • Comparative Table: Transitive vs Intransitive Verbs

    The difference between transitive and intransitive verbs lies in their requirement for a direct object to complete their meaning. Here's a table summarizing the differences:

    Feature Transitive Verbs Intransitive Verbs
    Direct Object Requires a direct object to complete its meaning Does not require a direct object to complete its meaning
    Sentence Structure Transitive verbs often have a subject, verb, and object in a sentence Intransitive verbs usually have a subject and verb in a sentence, and sometimes additional prepositional phrases or adverbs
    Examples - John ate all of his dinner (dinner is the direct object) - The patient's health deteriorated quickly (no direct object)

    Some verbs can be both transitive and intransitive, depending on the context and whether they have a direct object or not.

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    Guilherme Mazui

    Guilherme Mazui is graduated in journalism from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) and a master's degree in Communication from the University of São Paulo (USP). In addition, he has experience in advertising writing and has worked as a content editor in several companies.