Involving someone or something other than the subject: transitive verbs

3.15 Many verbs describe events that must, in addition to the subject, involve someone or something else. Some of these verbs can only be used in transitive clauses.

The extra profit justifies the investment.

He had committed a disgraceful action.

They wanted an assistant in the box office.

This means that they are followed by a direct object.

She had friends.

Children seek independence.

The trial raised a number of questions.

3.16 Many verbs which are only used in transitive clauses can take a large range of objects. For example, there are many things you can 'want': money, a rest, success, and so on.

She wanted some help.

I put my hand on the door.

She described her background.

l still support the government.

He had always liked Mr Phillips.

Japan has a population of about a hundred million.

Some transitive verbs have a restricted range of objects, because of their meaning. For example, the object of the verb 'kill' must be something that is alive. The object of the verb 'waste' must be something you can use, such as time, money, or food.

They killed huge elephants with tiny poisoned darts.

Why waste money on them?

3.17 Here is a list of verbs which are transitive:

achieve address admire affect afford avoid bear believe blame build buy calm carry catch claim commit complete concern consider control convince correct cover create

cut damage defy demand describe design desire destroy discover discuss display do dread enjoy equal exchange expect experience express favour fear fill find free

get give grant guard handle hate have hear heat hire hit include influence introduce issue justify keep kill know lack like list love lower

maintain make mean mention name need own plant please prefer prevent process produce pronounce protect provide raise reach receive recommend record release remember remove

rent report respect reveal risk see seek sell shock specify spot support take tease test threaten trust upset use value want waste wear welcome

Note that 'do' and 'have' are also very often used as auxiliaries. See the Reference Section for this use.

'Have got' and 'has got' are often used instead of the present tense of 'have' when talking about possession. The forms of 'have' behave like auxiliaries when used like this before 'got'. 'Had got' is sometimes used when referring to the past, but 'had' is often used instead.

I've got an umbrella.

She's got a degree.

He'd got over fifty horses.

'Measure' and 'weigh' are sometimes considered to be transitive verbs when used to state measurements and weights. This use is explained in paragraph 2.269. 'Cost' is used to state the cost of something, as in 'An adult ticket costs 90p'.

human objects 3.18 When you are talking about something that affects a person rather than a thing, it is normal in English to say who that person is. Therefore, verbs such as 'anger', 'thank', and 'warn', which involve affecting people, usually occur in transitive clauses.

My questions angered the crowd.

Her sudden death had surprised everybody.

Blue suits you.

Money did not interest him very much.

Lebel briefed Caron on the events of the afternoon.

3.19 Here is a list of verbs which usually have a human object:

anger brief comfort

contact frighten interest

suit surprise tease

thank trouble warn

transitive verbs which need an adjunct 3.20 With some transitive verbs, you have to give additional information about what is going on by using an adjunct after the object of the verb.

Some verbs typically have a prepositional phrase beginning with a particular preposition after their object.

The judge based his decision on constitutional rights.

He had subjected me to the pressure of financial ruin.

Mr. Claude Cheysoon regards the third world as his top priority.

Here is a list of verbs which always or usually have a particular preposition after their object:

regard as view as ~ mistake for swap for ~ dissociate from prevent from ~

deprive of remind of rid of rob of ~ accustom to ascribe to attribute to compare to

condemn to confine to consign to dedicate to entitle to liken to owe to return to subject to

subordinate to ~ acquaint with associate with confront with engrave with pelt with ply with trust with

With the following verbs, there is a choice of preposition:

divide by divide into ~ incorporate in incorporate into

~ base on base upon lavish on lavish upon

~ entrust to entrust with equate to equate with

present to present with supply to supply with

3.21 Other verbs are typically followed by an adjunct, but not one containing a particular preposition. The adjunct is often an adjunct of place.

He placed the baby on the woman's lap.

I positioned my chair outside the room.

He never puts anything away.

He treated his labourers with kindness.

Here is a list of verbs which usually have an adjunct of some kind after their object:

bring chuck convey cram direct drag

escort fling hoist jab jot lay

lead place point position prop put

rip send set shove smear stick

store throw thrust tie treat

Adjuncts are explained in Chapter 6.

3.22 Note that some verbs of movement and position are transitive, not intransitive; they are followed by noun groups referring to places rather than by adverbs or prepositional phrases. This is because the verbs themselves indicate that you are talking about movement or position of a particular kind. For example, 'enter' implies movement 'into' a place and 'occupy implies position 'in' a place.

As they neared the outskirts of the city the traffic thickened.

It was dark by the time they reached their house.

A small ornamental pool occupied the centre of the room.

Roaring aircraft filled the sky.

Here is a list of transitive verbs of movement:

approach enter

leave near

reach round

Here is a list of transitive verbs of position:

cover crowd

fill inhabit

occupy throng

Some verbs of movement can be followed either by a noun group or by a prepositional phrase. See paragraph 3.59.

3.23 Note that even verbs which are almost always followed by a direct object can occasionally be used intransitively. This is possible in very restricted contexts. For example, if you are contrasting two actions, not necessary to say what else is involved.

Money markets are the places where people with money buy and sell.

Some people build while others destroy.

We gave, they took.

If you use a list of different verbs for emphasis, you do not need to name the object.

They set out to be rude: to defy, threaten, or tease.

If you repeat a verb in order to contrast it with a similar action, or to emphasize it, the object can be omitted.

She had ceased to love as she had once loved.

3.24 Verbs which describe feelings and attitudes can sometimes be used without an object, particularly in the 'to'-infinitive form. This is because the object is assumed to be people in general. For example, 'please' usually requires an object, but you can say 'He likes to please', meaning he likes to please people.

He likes to shock.

She was anxious to please.

He must be convinced if he is to convince.

I have a tendency to tease.

reporting verbs 3.25 There is a large group of verbs, such as 'say', 'suggest' and 'think', which are used to report what people say or think. They are called reporting verbs. They are followed by a 'that'-clause which is called the reported clause.

She said that she would come.

The reported clause is often thought of as being an object, and so these verbs are usually said to be transitive verbs. In this grammar, reporting verbs are explained in Chapter 7.

Reporting verbs such as 'advise' and 'persuade', which have an object which refers to the person being addressed, are explained in paragraphs 7.71 and 7.72.

Some reporting verbs can take as their object a noun such as 'question' or 'story' which refers to something that is said or written. These verbs are listed in paragraph 7.78. Some take an object which refers to an event or fact, and is therefore closely related to a 'that'-clause. These are listed in paragraph 7.79.

Verbs such as 'believe' and 'know' which can be used as report verbs but which are ordinary transitive verbs when used with another common meaning are included in the lists of transitive verbs given above.

3.26 Most transitive verbs can be used in the passive. See paragraphs 10.8 to 10.21.