Intransitive Verb - A Complete Guide

What is an intransitive verb in English grammar? An intransitive verb in English grammar refers to a type of verb that does not need a direct object to complete its meaning. The most common intransitive verbs are: appear, disappear, arrive, die, rain, live, smile, look, cry, laugh, go, come, believe, seem, sleep, etc. 

Continue to read to master intransitive verb meaning, definition, types, example sentences with clear explanations.

This article covers:

• Intransitive Verb Definition and Meaning
• Intransitive Verbs Examples
• How to Tell If a Verb is Transitive or Intransitive?
• Types of Intransitive Verbs
• Intransitive Verbs List 
• Difference between Intransitive Verb and Transitive Verb 
• Examples of Intransitive Verbs in Sentences 
• Intransitive Verbs Quizzes and Exercises
• FAQs - Intransitive Verbs  

Intransitive Verb Meaning and Definition 

What does an intransitive verb mean? The word "intransitive" in the phrase "intransitive verb" means "not passing over". Now, the phrase "intransitive verb" means a verb whose action does not pass over something or some object; that is, the action of an intransitive verb performed by the subject does not go to an object.

So, what is the definition of an intransitive verb? An intransitive verb is a verb that does not have a direct object. Now verify the definition by going through different definitions given by different dictionaries.

1. Cambridge Dictionary defines intransitive verb as "of a verb" having or needing no object."

2. Merriam-Webster defines intransitive verb as "characterized by not having or containing a direct object."

3. Collins Online Dictionary defines intransitive verb as "denoting a verb when it does not require a direct object."

According to the above-mentioned definitions, we can summarize that an intransitive verb:

a. is a type of verb

b. does not pass its action over to an object

c. does not have a direct object

Intransitive Verbs Examples in Sentences

1. John slept for two hours yesterday.

2. Your baby is crying.

3. She smiled as soon as she saw me.

4. He's coming tonight.

5. It's raining heavily.

6. Smith has been living here for five years.

7. My grandfather died two years ago.

8. Don't laugh too much.

9. The train arrived two minutes ago.

Explanation: the highlighted verbs used in the examples above such as "slept," "crying," "smiled," "coming," "raining," "living," "died," "laugh," and "arrived" are examples of intransitive verbs.

How to Tell If a Verb is Transitive or Intransitive?

Identifying an intransitive verb is a little bit difficult, as both transitive and intransitive verbs are types of verb and can be used with all types of subjects. However, the most important tip to tell if a verb is transitive or intransitive is to keep in mind that an intransitive verb used in a sentence does not have a direct object, whereas a transitive verb can have a direct object, an indirect object or both together.

Now, based on the tip mentioned above, let's analyze the verbs used in the following sentences and mark them as transitive or intransitive verbs.

1. Did you know what happened yesterday?

2. Do you like to eat fast food?

3. When will you eat?

Explanation: in example 1, the verb "happened" is an intransitive verb which does not have a direct object; in example 2, the verb "eat" is a transitive verb; in example 3, the same verb "eat" is an intransitive verb. 

Note: This lets you know that there are three categories of verbs when it comes to transitive and intransitive verbs. They are: 

1. Verbs that are used as transitive verbs only

2. Verbs that are used as intransitive verbs only

3. Verbs that are used as both transitive and intransitive verbs

Also read: transitive verb

Types of Intransitive Verbs

1. Ergative verbs: The verbs under this category can be both transitive and intransitive. Ergative verb is the same verb, but the object of an ergative verb when used transitively becomes the subject of the same verb when used intransitively. Look at the below-given examples carefully.

Examples:

a. The watchman rang the bell. The bell rang.

b. John opened the door. The door opened.

2. Verbs both transitive and intransitive: The verbs under this category can be used both transitively and intransitively. Note that the verbs under this category are not the same as ergative verbs. The same verbs used in the following examples are used transitively in the first clauses and intransitively in the second clauses.

Examples:

a. [first clause] I left college when I was 10. [second clause] We should leave now.

b. [first clause] John is driving a car. [second clause] John learned to drive at the age of 10.

3. Simple intransitive verbs: simple intransitive verbs are used without any modifiers or words.

Examples:

a. She slept.

b. He came.

4. Complex intransitive verbs: The intransitive verbs under this category relate subjects to their complements.

Examples:

a. John grew old.

b. She looks gorgeous.

 

Intransitive Verbs List 

There are countless intransitive verbs in English which cannot be listed in one article. However, we present to you a small list of commonly used intransitive verbs. Here's the list:

• appear
• disappear
• arrive
• die
• rain
• live
• smile
• look
• cry
• laugh
• go
• come
• believe
• seem
• sleep
• jump
• fly
• scream
• weep
• wail

FAQs - Intransitive Verbs 

What is an intransitive verb?

What is an intransitive verb in English grammar? An intransitive verb in English grammar refers to a type of verb that does not need a direct object to complete its meaning.

10 examples of intransitive verb 

1. John slept for two hours yesterday.

2. Your baby is crying.

3. She smiled as soon as she saw me.

4. He's coming tonight.

5. It's raining heavily.

6. Smith has been living here for five years.

7. My grandfather died two years ago.

8. Don't laugh too much.

9. The train arrived two minutes ago.

10. Your daughter was weeping then.

How does an intransitive verb differ from a transitive verb?

An intransitive verb differs from a transitive verb in the point that an intransitive verb does not have a direct object, whereas a transitive verb has a direct object.