1.2.7

Transitive, Intransitive, Active & Passive Verbs

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Lexis - Transitive and Intransitive Verbs

When verbs have a direct object, we can describe them as being transitive. When verbs do not have a direct object, we can describe them as being intransitive.

Transitive verbs - examples

Transitive verbs - examples

Jake bought a new phone.
- ‘Bought’ is a transitive verb.
Sally ate all the cupcakes.
- 'Ate' is a transitive verb.
Stephen baked banana bread.
- 'Baked' is a transitive verb.

Intransitive verbs - examples

Intransitive verbs - examples

The teacher smirked.
- ‘Smirked’ is not followed by an object. So 'smirked' is intransitive.
Alex laughed manically.
- 'Laughed' is not followed by an object. So 'laughed' is intransitive.
Bertie wept.
- 'Wept' is not followed by an object. So 'wept' is intransitive.

Lexis - Active & Passive Verbs

The voice of the verb depends on whether the subject is being acted upon or performing an action.

Active voice

Active voice

When a subject is performing an action, the verb uses the active voice.

Active voice - examples

Active voice - examples

Ryan played the character well.
- Ryan is performing the action, and so the verb is in the active voice.
Christian loved his wife.
- Christian is performing the action, and so the verb is in the active voice.
I want to sleep.
- I am performing the action, and so the verb is in the active voice.

Passive voice

Passive voice

When the subject is being acted on (i.e. it is passive to the action), the verb uses the passive voice.

Passive voice - examples

Passive voice - examples

The character was played well by Ryan.
- The character is now the subject and is being impacted on, and so the verb is in the passive voice.
Christian's wife was loved by Christian.
- Christian's wife is now the subject and is being impacted on, and so the verb is in the passive voice.
I was overcome by sleep.
- I am the subject and am being impacted on, and so the verb is in the passive voice.

1

Language Levels

1.1

Assessment Objectives

1.1.1Assessment Objectives

1.2

Lexis

1.2.1Introduction 1.2.2Common, Proper, Abstract & Concrete Nouns 1.2.3Collective Nouns 1.2.4Adjectives 1.2.5Main, Auxiliary & Copular Verbs 1.2.6Dynamic & Stative Verbs 1.2.7Transitive, Intransitive, Active & Passive Verbs 1.2.8Mood of Verbs 1.2.9Adverbs 1.2.10Personal, Possessive & Reflexive Pronouns 1.2.11Relative & Demonstrative Pronouns 1.2.12Determiners 1.2.13Conjunctions 1.2.14Synonyms, Antonyms & Phonological Features 1.2.15End of Topic Test - Lexis

1.3

Grammar

1.3.1Morphology 1.3.2Clauses 1.3.3Phrases 1.3.4Present Tense 1.3.5Past Tense 1.3.6Future Tense 1.3.7End of Topic Test - Grammar

1.4

Semantics & Pragmatics

1.4.1Semantics 1.4.2Pragmatics

1.5

Discourse Structure, Graphology & Orthography

1.5.1Discourse Structure 1.5.2Graphology & Orthography 1.5.3End of Topic Test - Semantics, Graphology etc.

2

Language, The Individual & Society

2.1

Children’s Language Development

2.1.1The Exam 2.1.2Phonemes, Vocal Tract & Articulation 2.1.3Writing About Phonemes 2.1.4Phonological Simplification 2.1.5A Child's First Year & Consonant Acquisition 2.1.6Beginning Stages of Language 2.1.7Lexical Development 2.1.8Stages of Development 2.1.9End of Topic Test - Child Language Development

2.2

Children's Language Development - Theories

2.2.1Behaviourism 2.2.2Interactionism 2.2.3Challenging Interactionism 2.2.4Nativism 2.2.5Nativism - Exam Answer 2.2.6Cognitivism 2.2.7Social Constructionism 2.2.8Writing About Spoken Acquisition 2.2.9End of Topic Test - Development Theories

2.3

Literacy Development: Reading

2.3.1Introduction 2.3.2Phonics vs Whole Word 2.3.3Debates in Reading 2.3.4Modelling Reading Acquisition 2.3.5Other Reading Theories 2.3.6End of Topic Test - Reading

2.4

Literacy Development: Writing

2.4.1Orthography 2.4.2Kroll's Theory 2.4.3Barclay's Theory 2.4.4Creativity vs Accuracy 2.4.5Other Writing Theories 2.4.6The Exam 2.4.7End of Topic Test - Writing

3

Language Diversity & Change

3.1

The Importance of Gendered Language

3.1.1Writing About Gender 3.1.2Dominance Theory 3.1.3Interruptions - Zimmerman & West 3.1.4Deficit Theory 3.1.5Difference Model 3.1.6Difference Model - Men 3.1.7Diversity Model 3.1.8End of Topic Test - Gendered Language

3.2

Social Groups

3.2.1Writing About Social Groups 3.2.2Social Class 3.2.3Social Class 2 3.2.4Age 3.2.5Age - Teen Speak 3.2.6Milroy’s Belfast Study 3.2.7Labov’s Martha’s Vineyard Study 3.2.8End of Topic Test - Social Groups

3.3

Occupational Groups

3.3.1Writing About Occupational Groups 3.3.2Jargon 3.3.3Conversations 3.3.4Hierarchy & Power 3.3.5End of Topic Test - Occupational Groups

3.4

Accents & Dialects

3.4.1Writing About Accent & Dialect 3.4.2Introduction to Accents & Dialects 3.4.3Accents - Matched Guide Experiment 3.4.4Accents - Received Pronunciation & Brummie 3.4.5Dialects - Dialectal Variations 3.4.6Accent & Dialect Case Study - London 3.4.7End of Topic Test - Accents & Dialects

3.5

Language Change

3.5.1Writing About Language Change 3.5.2Modelling Change 3.5.3Modelling Change 2 3.5.4Lexical Change 3.5.5Semantic Change 3.5.6End of Topic Test - Language Change

3.6

History of English

3.6.1Old English 3.6.2Old English 2 3.6.3Middle English 3.6.4Middle English 2 3.6.5Early Modern English 3.6.6Late Modern English 3.6.7Present Day English 3.6.8Global English 3.6.9American English 3.6.10Modelling Global English 3.6.11End of Topic Test - History of English

Jump to other topics

1

Language Levels

1.1

Assessment Objectives

1.1.1Assessment Objectives

1.2

Lexis

1.2.1Introduction 1.2.2Common, Proper, Abstract & Concrete Nouns 1.2.3Collective Nouns 1.2.4Adjectives 1.2.5Main, Auxiliary & Copular Verbs 1.2.6Dynamic & Stative Verbs 1.2.7Transitive, Intransitive, Active & Passive Verbs 1.2.8Mood of Verbs 1.2.9Adverbs 1.2.10Personal, Possessive & Reflexive Pronouns 1.2.11Relative & Demonstrative Pronouns 1.2.12Determiners 1.2.13Conjunctions 1.2.14Synonyms, Antonyms & Phonological Features 1.2.15End of Topic Test - Lexis

1.3

Grammar

1.3.1Morphology 1.3.2Clauses 1.3.3Phrases 1.3.4Present Tense 1.3.5Past Tense 1.3.6Future Tense 1.3.7End of Topic Test - Grammar

1.4

Semantics & Pragmatics

1.4.1Semantics 1.4.2Pragmatics

1.5

Discourse Structure, Graphology & Orthography

1.5.1Discourse Structure 1.5.2Graphology & Orthography 1.5.3End of Topic Test - Semantics, Graphology etc.

2

Language, The Individual & Society

2.1

Children’s Language Development

2.1.1The Exam 2.1.2Phonemes, Vocal Tract & Articulation 2.1.3Writing About Phonemes 2.1.4Phonological Simplification 2.1.5A Child's First Year & Consonant Acquisition 2.1.6Beginning Stages of Language 2.1.7Lexical Development 2.1.8Stages of Development 2.1.9End of Topic Test - Child Language Development

2.2

Children's Language Development - Theories

2.2.1Behaviourism 2.2.2Interactionism 2.2.3Challenging Interactionism 2.2.4Nativism 2.2.5Nativism - Exam Answer 2.2.6Cognitivism 2.2.7Social Constructionism 2.2.8Writing About Spoken Acquisition 2.2.9End of Topic Test - Development Theories

2.3

Literacy Development: Reading

2.3.1Introduction 2.3.2Phonics vs Whole Word 2.3.3Debates in Reading 2.3.4Modelling Reading Acquisition 2.3.5Other Reading Theories 2.3.6End of Topic Test - Reading

2.4

Literacy Development: Writing

2.4.1Orthography 2.4.2Kroll's Theory 2.4.3Barclay's Theory 2.4.4Creativity vs Accuracy 2.4.5Other Writing Theories 2.4.6The Exam 2.4.7End of Topic Test - Writing

3

Language Diversity & Change

3.1

The Importance of Gendered Language

3.1.1Writing About Gender 3.1.2Dominance Theory 3.1.3Interruptions - Zimmerman & West 3.1.4Deficit Theory 3.1.5Difference Model 3.1.6Difference Model - Men 3.1.7Diversity Model 3.1.8End of Topic Test - Gendered Language

3.2

Social Groups

3.2.1Writing About Social Groups 3.2.2Social Class 3.2.3Social Class 2 3.2.4Age 3.2.5Age - Teen Speak 3.2.6Milroy’s Belfast Study 3.2.7Labov’s Martha’s Vineyard Study 3.2.8End of Topic Test - Social Groups

3.3

Occupational Groups

3.3.1Writing About Occupational Groups 3.3.2Jargon 3.3.3Conversations 3.3.4Hierarchy & Power 3.3.5End of Topic Test - Occupational Groups

3.4

Accents & Dialects

3.4.1Writing About Accent & Dialect 3.4.2Introduction to Accents & Dialects 3.4.3Accents - Matched Guide Experiment 3.4.4Accents - Received Pronunciation & Brummie 3.4.5Dialects - Dialectal Variations 3.4.6Accent & Dialect Case Study - London 3.4.7End of Topic Test - Accents & Dialects

3.5

Language Change

3.5.1Writing About Language Change 3.5.2Modelling Change 3.5.3Modelling Change 2 3.5.4Lexical Change 3.5.5Semantic Change 3.5.6End of Topic Test - Language Change

3.6

History of English

3.6.1Old English 3.6.2Old English 2 3.6.3Middle English 3.6.4Middle English 2 3.6.5Early Modern English 3.6.6Late Modern English 3.6.7Present Day English 3.6.8Global English 3.6.9American English 3.6.10Modelling Global English 3.6.11End of Topic Test - History of English

Practice questions on Transitive, Intransitive, Active & Passive Verbs

Can you answer these? Test yourself with free interactive practice on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.

1
What kind of verb is this?<br><br>Dan __loves__ Serena so dearly.Multiple choice
2
What kind of verb is this?<br><br>Blaire is __snoozing__.Multiple choice
3
Which sentences use transitive verbs?True / false
4
Which sentences use intransitive verbs?True / false
5
What kind of verb is this?<br><br>Lenny __forgot__ his slippers.Multiple choice

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Dynamic & Stative Verbs

Mood of Verbs