This document discusses the transitivity of verbs in English sentences. It defines 5 types of verbs: intransitive verbs which indicate a complete action without a direct object, transitive verbs which are accompanied by a direct object, linking verbs which link the subject to a complement, di-transitive verbs which have both a direct and indirect object, and complex-transitive verbs which have a direct object and object complement. Examples of each type are provided and the subject and predicate are identified in sample sentences. Edge cases with certain verbs are also addressed.

1. TDC 1
Pedagogical Grammar
Transitivity of Verbs

2. Transitivity of Verbs
Identify the subject and the predicate of the sentences below.
a) They have disappeared.
b) She made a mistake.
c) We are late.
d) Who brought Sheila a flower?
e) They considered him guilty.

3. Transitivity of Verbs
Identify the subject and the predicate of the sentences below.
a) They have disappeared.
S P
b) She made a mistake.
S P
c) We are late.
S P
d) Who brought Sheila a flower?
S P
e) They considered him guilty.
S P

4. Transitivity of Verbs
In sentence a, what constitutes the predicate?
a) They have disappeared.
S P

5. Transitivity of Verbs
In sentence a, what constitutes the predicate?
a) They have disappeared.
S P
The predicate is constituted of a verb (have
disappeared) conjugated in the present perfect
simple.

6. Transitivity of Verbs
a) They have disappeared.
S P
The predicate is constituted of a verb conjugated in
the present perfect simple.
In this sentence, the verb “to disappear” indicates
a complete action without being accompanied by
a direct object.
What is the name given to this type of verbs?

7. Transitivity of Verbs
a) They have disappeared.
S P
In this sentence, the verb “to disappear” indicates
a complete action without being accompanied by
a direct object.
What is the name given to this type of verbs?
This type of verbs is called
INTRANSITIVE VERBS.

8. Transitivity of Verbs
In sentence b, what constitutes the predicate?
b) She made a mistake.
S P

9. Transitivity of Verbs
In sentence b, what constitutes the predicate?
b) She made a mistake.
S P
The predicate is constituted of a verb (made) and a
direct object (a mistake).

10. Transitivity of Verbs
b) She made a mistake.
S P
The predicate is constituted of a verb and a direct
object.
In this sentence, the verb “to make” is
accompanied by a direct object.
What is the name given to this type of verbs?

11. Transitivity of Verbs
b) She made a mistake.
S P
In this sentence, the verb “to make” is
accompanied by a direct object.
What is the name given to this type of verbs?
This type of verbs is called TRANSITIVE
VERBS.

12. Transitivity of Verbs
In sentence c, what constitutes the predicate?
c) We are late.
S P

13. Transitivity of Verbs
In sentence c, what constitutes the predicate?
c) We are late.
S P
The predicate is constituted of a verb (are) and an
adjective (late) working as a subject complement.

14. Transitivity of Verbs
c) We are late.
S P
The predicate is constituted of a verb and an
adjective working as a subject complement.
In this sentence, the verb “to be” serves as a link
between the subject and its complement.
What is the name given to this type of verbs?

15. Transitivity of Verbs
c) We are late.
S P
In this sentence, the verb “to be” serves as a link
between the subject and its complement.
What is the name given to this type of verbs?
This type of verbs is called LINKING VERBS.

16. Transitivity of Verbs
In sentence d, what constitutes the predicate?
d) Who brought Sheila a flower.
S P

17. Transitivity of Verbs
In sentence d, what constitutes the predicate?
d) Who brought Sheila a flower.
S P
The predicate is constituted of a verb (brought), an
indirect object (Sheila) and a direct object (a
flower).

18. Transitivity of Verbs
d) Who brought Sheila a flower.
S P
The predicate is constituted of a verb, an indirect
object and a direct object.
In this sentence, the verb “to bring” is
accompanied by both a direct and na indirect
object.
What is the name given to this type of verbs?

19. Transitivity of Verbs
d) Who brought Sheila a flower.
S P
In this sentence, the verb “to bring” is
accompanied by both a direct and na indirect
object.
What is the name given to this type of verbs?
This type of verbs is called DI-TRANSITIVE
VERBS.

20. Transitivity of Verbs
In sentence e, what constitutes the predicate?
e) They considered him guilty.
S P

21. Transitivity of Verbs
In sentence e, what constitutes the predicate?
e) They considered him guilty.
S P
The predicate is constituted of a verb (considered),
a direct object (him) and an adjective (guilty)
working as an object complement.

22. Transitivity of Verbs
e) They considered him guilty.
S P
The predicate is constituted of a verb, a direct
object and an adjective working as an object
complement.
In this sentence, the verb “to consider” is
accompanied by a direct object and an object
complement (a word or phrase that says
something about the direct object).
What is the name given to this type of verbs?

23. Transitivity of Verbs
e) They considered him guilty.
S P
In this sentence, the verb “to consider” is
accompanied by a direct object and an object
complement (a word or phrase that says something
about the direct object).
What is the name given to this type of verbs?
This type of verbs is called COMPLEX-
TRANSITIVE VERBS.

24. Transitivity of Verbs
These are the types of verbs in English:
1. Intransitive Verbs
2. Transitive Verbs
3. Linking Verbs
4. Di-transitive Verbs
5. Complex-transitive Verbs

25. Transitivity of Verbs
In order to revise, match the types of verbs with their
corresponding definitions.
Types of Verbs Definitions
1) Intransitive Verbs _____ a verb accompanied by a direct object
_____ a verb accompanied by a direct object and an
2) Transitive Verbs object complement (a word or phrase that says
something about the direct object)
_____ a verb accompanied by both a direct and an
3) Linking Verbs
indirect object
_____ a verb indicating a complete action without
4) Di-Transitive Verbs
being accompanied by a direct object
5) Complex-Transitive _____ a verb serving as a link or establishing an identity
Verbs between a subject and its complement

26. Transitivity of Verbs
Match the types of verbs with their corresponding definitions.
Types of Verbs Definitions
1) Intransitive Verbs _____ a verb accompanied by a direct object
2
_____ a verb accompanied by a direct object and an
5
2) Transitive Verbs object complement (a word or phrase that says
something about the direct object)
_____ a verb accompanied by both a direct and an
4
3) Linking Verbs
indirect object
_____ a verb indicating a complete action without
1
4) Di-Transitive Verbs
being accompanied by a direct object
5) Complex-Transitive _____ a verb serving as a link or establishing an identity
3
Verbs between a subject and its complement

27. Transitivity of Verbs - TroublesomePoints
How can the underlined verbs in the sentences below be
classified?
1) I’ll think about the problem.
2) She thinks that her boyfriend is seeing someone else.
3) I promise to think over the suggestions you’ve given
me.

28. Transitivity of Verbs - TroublesomePoints
How can the underlined verbs in the sentences below be
classified?
1) I’ll think about the problem.
In this sentence, the verb ‘to think’ is intransitive. The phrase
‘about the problem’ is a prrepositional phrase, and prepositional
phrases can never work as direct objects.
2) She thinks that her boyfriend is seeing someone else.
In this sentence, the verb ‘to think’ is transitive. The clause ‘that
her boyfriend is...’ is a noun clause working as a direct object.
3) I promise to think over the suggestions you’ve given
me. we have the phrasal verb ‘to think over’, which means ‘to
Here,
consider’. It is a transitive verb accompanied by the direct object
‘the suggestions...’.