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Concept
Intransitive verb
Summary
In grammar, an intransitive verb is a verb whose context does not entail a direct object. That lack of transitivity distinguishes intransitive verbs from transitive verbs, which entail one or more objects. Additionally, intransitive verbs are typically considered within a class apart from modal verbs and defective verbs.
In the following sentences, verbs are used without a direct object:
"Rivers flow."
"I sneezed."
"My dog ran."
"Water evaporates when it's hot."
"You've grown since I last saw you!"
"I wonder how old I will be when I die."
The following sentences contain transitive verbs (they entail one or more objects):
"We watched a movie last night."
"She's making promises."
"When I said that, my sister smacked me."
"Santa gave me a present."
"He continuously clicked his pen and it was incredibly annoying to me."
Some verbs, called ambitransitive verbs, may entail objects but do not always require one. Such a verb may be used as intransitive in one sentence, and as transitive in another.
{|
! Intransitive !! !! Transitive
|-
|"It is raining." || || "It is raining cats and dogs."
|-
| "When he finished the race, he vomited." || || "When he finished the race, he vomited up his lunch."
|-
| "Water evaporates when it's hot." || || "Heat evaporates water."
|-
| "He's been singing all day." || || "He's been singing barbershop all day."
|-
| "You've grown since I last saw you." || || "You've grown a beard since I last saw you!"
|}
In general, intransitive verbs often involve weather terms, involuntary processes, states, bodily functions, motion, action processes, cognition, sensation, and emotion.
The valency of a verb is related to transitivity. Where the transitivity of a verb only considers the objects, the valency of a verb considers all the arguments that correspond to a verb, including both the subject of the verb and all of the objects.
It is possible to change the contextually indicated sense of a verb from transitive to intransitive, and in so doing to change the valency.
Official source
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