Transitive & Intransitive Verbs Worksheet With Answers

Transitive & Intransitive Verbs Worksheet with Answers: A Comprehensive Guide

Understanding the difference between transitive and intransitive verbs is crucial for mastering English grammar. This comprehensive guide provides a detailed explanation of these verb types, along with a comprehensive worksheet and answer key to solidify your understanding. We’ll explore the nuances of each type, provide examples, and offer tips to help you confidently identify them in any sentence.

What are Transitive Verbs?

Transitive verbs are action verbs that require a direct object. The direct object receives the action of the verb. Think of it this way: the verb acts upon something. To determine if a verb is transitive, ask yourself: "What?" or "Whom?" after the verb. If you can answer with a noun or pronoun, the verb is transitive.

Examples of Transitive Verbs:

• She reads books. (What does she read? Books.)
• The dog chased the ball. (What did the dog chase? The ball.)
• He wrote a letter. (What did he write? A letter.)
• They built a house. (What did they build? A house.)
• I understand the problem. (What do I understand? The problem.)

What are Intransitive Verbs?

Intransitive verbs are action verbs that do not require a direct object. They express action, but the action doesn't directly affect anything else. If you ask "What?" or "Whom?" after the verb, you won't get a direct answer.

Examples of Intransitive Verbs:

• **The bird sang. (Sang what? Nothing. The action is complete in itself.)
• He sleeps soundly. (Sleeps what? Nothing.)
• The sun shines brightly. (Shines what? Nothing.)
• The leaves fell gently. (Fell what? Nothing.)
• She laughs often. (Laughs what? Nothing.)

Verbs that Can Be Both Transitive and Intransitive:

Some verbs can function as both transitive and intransitive, depending on the context. This is where understanding the sentence structure becomes crucial.

Examples of Verbs with Dual Functionality:

• Run:
  • Transitive: "She runs a marathon." (Runs what? A marathon.)
  • Intransitive: "She runs every morning." (Runs what? Nothing. The focus is on the action of running itself.)
• Write:
  • Transitive: "He writes poems." (Writes what? Poems.)
  • Intransitive: "He writes well." (Writes what? Nothing. The focus is on his ability to write.)
• Open:
  • Transitive: "He opened the door." (Opened what? The door.)
  • Intransitive: "The door opened slowly." (Opened what? Nothing. The focus is on the door's action.)
• Play:
  • Transitive: "They play the piano." (Play what? The piano.)
  • Intransitive: "The children play happily." (Play what? Nothing. Focus on the action of playing.)
• Cook:
  • Transitive: "She cooks delicious meals." (Cooks what? Meals.)
  • Intransitive: "She cooks well." (Cooks what? Nothing, the focus is on her skill.)

Identifying Transitive and Intransitive Verbs: A Step-by-Step Approach

1. Identify the verb: Find the action word in the sentence.

2. Ask "What?" or "Whom?": Ask these questions after the verb.

3. Look for a direct object: If the answer to "What?" or "Whom?" is a noun or pronoun that directly receives the action of the verb, the verb is transitive.

4. No direct object? If there's no direct answer or the answer doesn't directly receive the action, the verb is intransitive.

5. Consider context: Remember some verbs can function as both transitive and intransitive. Pay close attention to the sentence's structure and meaning.

Transitive & Intransitive Verbs Worksheet

Instructions: Identify each verb in the following sentences as transitive (T) or intransitive (I). Write your answer in the parentheses provided.

1. The sun ( ) shines brightly.
2. She ( ) reads novels.
3. Birds ( ) sing sweetly.
4. He ( ) drives a car.
5. The wind ( ) howls.
6. They ( ) built a sandcastle.
7. The flowers ( ) bloom.
8. She ( ) speaks eloquently.
9. He ( ) plays the guitar.
10. The river ( ) flows.
11. They ( ) painted the house.
12. The baby ( ) sleeps soundly.
13. He ( ) writes poems.
14. The cat ( ) jumps.
15. She ( ) cooks dinner.
16. The rain ( ) falls.
17. He ( ) kicks the ball.
18. The dog ( ) barks loudly.
19. They ( ) watched a movie.
20. The leaves ( ) change color.

Transitive & Intransitive Verbs Worksheet: Answer Key

1. The sun (I) shines brightly.
2. She (T) reads novels.
3. Birds (I) sing sweetly.
4. He (T) drives a car.
5. The wind (I) howls.
6. They (T) built a sandcastle.
7. The flowers (I) bloom.
8. She (I) speaks eloquently.
9. He (T) plays the guitar.
10. The river (I) flows.
11. They (T) painted the house.
12. The baby (I) sleeps soundly.
13. He (T) writes poems.
14. The cat (I) jumps.
15. She (T) cooks dinner.
16. The rain (I) falls.
17. He (T) kicks the ball.
18. The dog (I) barks loudly.
19. They (T) watched a movie.
20. The leaves (I) change color.

Advanced Exercises: Identifying Transitive and Intransitive Verbs in Complex Sentences

Instructions: Identify the transitive and intransitive verbs in the following sentences. Explain your reasoning.

1. The tired chef, after working for hours, finally prepared a delicious meal and then collapsed onto the kitchen counter, exhausted.
2. The energetic children ran around the playground, laughing and shouting joyfully, and then settled down for a quiet nap.
3. The old house stood silently on the hill, its windows dark and mysterious, watched by the setting sun.
4. The artist painted a beautiful landscape using vibrant colors, capturing the essence of the serene countryside.
5. She eloquently delivered a powerful speech, persuading her audience with facts and inspiring them with passion.

Answer Key & Explanations (Advanced Exercises):

These explanations delve deeper into the complexities of verb identification in more intricate sentences. Consider each clause separately when analyzing complex sentences.

1. prepared (transitive - prepared what? a delicious meal); collapsed (intransitive - collapsed what? Nothing. The action is complete within the subject);

2. ran (intransitive - ran what? Nothing. The action is the focus); laughing (intransitive - laughing what? Nothing); shouting (intransitive - shouting what? Nothing); settled (intransitive - settled what? Nothing. The action is complete within the subject)

3. stood (intransitive - stood what? Nothing); watched (transitive - watched what? the old house)

4. painted (transitive - painted what? a beautiful landscape); capturing (transitive – capturing what? the essence of the serene countryside)

5. delivered (transitive - delivered what? a powerful speech); persuading (transitive - persuading whom? her audience); inspiring (transitive - inspiring whom? them/her audience).

This worksheet and the in-depth explanations provide a solid foundation for understanding and identifying transitive and intransitive verbs. Remember, practice is key! The more you work with sentences, the more confident you'll become in distinguishing between these crucial verb types. Consistent practice will enhance your overall grammatical proficiency and improve your writing skills.