the stems measure a foot in diameter=transitive

people use bamboo in many ways=transitive

in japan the hollow stems serve as water pipes= transitive

Actually, the statements you provided are not examples of transitive verbs, but rather statements about stems of bamboo and people using them for different purposes. Transitive verbs are action verbs that require a direct object to complete their meaning. They indicate that someone or something is acting upon someone or something else.

For example, here's a sentence that includes a transitive verb:

"He cut the stems of bamboo with a knife."

In this sentence, the transitive verb is "cut" because it requires a direct object, which is "the stems of bamboo." The action of cutting is being performed on the stems.

To determine if a verb is transitive, you can ask yourself if the verb can be followed by the question "what?" or "whom?" If there is an answer, then the verb is likely transitive.

Let's analyze the statements you provided:

1. "The stems measure a foot in diameter."
This sentence does not contain a transitive verb because "measure" does not require a direct object. You can't ask "measure what?" in this context.

2. "People use bamboo in many ways."
Similarly, the verb "use" in this sentence is not transitive because it does not require a direct object. Asking "use what?" makes little sense in this context.

3. "In Japan, the hollow stems serve as water pipes."
Again, the verb "serve" here is not transitive as it does not require a direct object. You can't ask "serve what?" in this sentence.

I hope this explanation helps clarify the difference between transitive verbs and the statements you provided.

The first two are correct.

The third is wrong. There is no direct object.