Transitive Verbs

1. What is a transitive verb?

Transitive verbs are action verbs that have a direct object.

Action verbs describe physical or mental actions that people or objects do (write, dance, jump, think, feel, play, eat). A direct object is the person or thing that receives the action described by the verb. This means that the action is done to the direct object.

A simple way to find the direct object in a sentence is to locate the verb and then ask: “What?” or “Whom?”

Example 1:

Benjamin kicked the ball.

The action verb in this sentence is “kicked.”
To find the direct object, we can ask, “Kicked what?”
The answer to our question is, “The ball.”
Since the action in the sentence (kicking) is performed on the ball, the ball is our direct object.
This makes the action verb “kicked,” the transitive verb in this sentence.

Example 2:

Chloe ate an apple.

In this example, the action verb is “ate.”
To identify the direct object, we ask, “Ate what?”
In this case, the answer is “An apple.”
The apple receives the action (ate), meaning the apple is our direct object.
“Ate” is an action verb and it does have a direct object, so it’s a transitive verb.

Example 3:

Kiara smiled.

The action verb in this sentence is “smiled.”
Can we answer the question, “Smiled what?”
No, and the question doesn’t really make sense.
No person or object receives the action (smiled) in this sentence, meaning there is no direct object.
“Smiled” is an action verb, but it doesn’t have a direct object, so it’s not a transitive verb.
Verbs that don’t have a direct object are called intransitive verbs.

Some verbs can be either transitive or intransitive, depending on how they are used in a sentence.

Example 4:

Clayton sang.

The action verb in this sentence is “sang.”
Can we answer the question, “Sang what?”
No, the sentence doesn’t provide that information.
This means that although “sang” is an action verb, it doesn’t have a direct object.
In this sentence, “sang” is an intransitive verb instead of a transitive verb.

Clayton sang a song.

Again, the action verb in this example is “sang.”
Can we answer the question, “Sang what?” this time?
Yes! Sang a song.
This means that the song is the direct object and the action (singing) is performed on the song.
“Sang” is an action verb, and it does have a direct object, making it a transitive verb in this case.

Remember that in order for a word to be a transitive verb, it must meet two requirements: It has to be an action verb, and it has to have a direct object.

2. Examples of Transitive Verbs

Example 1

The mother carried the baby.

The action verb in this example is “carried.”
Carried what?
Carried the baby! This means that “the baby” is the direct object who receives the action (carried).
“Carried” is an action verb with a direct object (the baby), so it’s a transitive verb.

Example 2

Michael completed his homework.

In this sentence, the action verb is “completed.”
Who or what is completed?
The homework! Since the homework receives the action, it’s our direct object.
“Completed” is an action verb and it has a direct object, so it’s a transitive verb.

Example 3

I want a puppy.

The action verb in this sentence is “want.”
Want what?
A puppy. In this sentence, the puppy receives the action (being wanted), so it is our direct object.
“Want” is an action verb that carries a direct object (puppy), so it’s a transitive verb.

Example 4

Darryl mailed the letter.

In this example, the action verb is “mailed.”
Who or what is this action performed on?
The letter. Since the letter receives the action, it’s the direct object in this sentence.
“Mailed” is an action verb with a direct object, so we know it’s a transitive verb.