Transitive verb
A transitive verb takes a direct object: it needs something to act on, so the sentence names both the doer and the thing done to, as in 'she closed the file'.
She closed the file. The verb needs an object to feel complete, because she closed on its own leaves the reader waiting for the rest. The object, the file, is what the action lands on, and grammar calls it the direct object.
How to test for a transitive verb
Ask what? or whom? straight after the verb. If the sentence answers, the verb is transitive here. If nothing answers, it is intransitive.
- He dropped the glass. Dropped what? The glass. Transitive.
- The glass fell. Fell what? No answer. Intransitive.
A second test: a transitive verb can usually be turned into the passive, because the object has somewhere to go. The glass was dropped works. The glass was fallen does not.
Some verbs almost always take an object: bring, carry, need, own, enjoy, describe, lift, hit, borrow, mention. Many others work both ways. She ran the department is transitive, she ran is not. He burned the letters is transitive, the house burned is not.
A transitive verb that takes two objects, a direct and an indirect, is called ditransitive: she sent him the file.
Why transitive verbs matter on the page
Transitive constructions carry agency, and agency is what makes prose feel like things are happening. Compare:
- The decision was regretted. No one in the sentence.
- The committee regretted the decision. A transitive verb in the active voice, and now somebody is responsible.
A scene that keeps losing its actors has usually stopped using active transitive verbs, either through the passive voice or through a noun standing in for the action, which is the problem described under hidden verbs. There was a struggle over the gun is a report. She grabbed the gun and he twisted her wrist is a fight.
Common mistakes
- Leaving a transitive verb without its object. She brought. Brought what? Fix: finish the sentence, or choose a verb that can stand alone.
- Mixing up transitive and intransitive pairs. Lay needs an object and lie does not; the same goes for raise and rise, set and sit. See intransitive verb for the full untangling.
- Mistaking a complement for an object. In she became a doctor, a doctor is not an object. It renames the subject, so became is a linking verb.
Frequently asked questions
What is a transitive verb?
A transitive verb is a verb that takes a direct object, the person or thing the action is done to. In 'she closed the file', closed is transitive and the file is its object.
How can I tell if a verb is transitive?
Ask 'what?' or 'whom?' straight after the verb. If the sentence answers with a noun or pronoun, the verb is transitive in that sentence. A second check: transitive verbs can usually be turned into the passive, as in 'the file was closed'.
Can a verb be both transitive and intransitive?
Yes, and many are. 'She ran the department' is transitive, and 'she ran' is intransitive. What matters is how the verb is used in the sentence in front of you.