My question is on transitive/intransitive verbs. Here is an example sentence:
The entire pack of dogs barked at the moon.
I know the verb is 'barked'. Would it be transitive and the receiver be 'moon'?
Also, does anyone have any tips on how to distinguish transitive and intransitive?
Transitive verbs need an object to complete their meanings. The object must answer "who" or "what" after the verb. Examples:
Josie picked flowers from her garden. (Flowers tell WHAT she picked.)
We had to write an essay for history class.
Peggy saw a doctor about her skin rash.
Intransitive verbs don't have objects. Examples:
The girls shopped at the mall. (Mall doesn't answer the question WHAT after the verb. At the mall is a prepositional phrase; objects cannot be in prepositional phrases.)
Caesar came, saw, and conquered.
Check this site for more information.
http://www.ucalgary.ca/UofC/eduweb/grammar/course/speech/1_3b.htm
Do you still think that "barked" is a transitive verb? Note that moon is in a prepositional phrase and can't be the object.
Oh, okay. I realize that it is intransitive now.
Thank you!
You're welcome.
find the prepostional phrase
1. The word robot comes from a play by karel capek.
what is the prepositional phrase of this sentence the word robot comes from a play by Karel Capek
In the example sentence "The entire pack of dogs barked at the moon," the verb "barked" is actually intransitive. Intransitive verbs do not require a direct object.
To determine whether a verb is transitive or intransitive, you can follow these tips:
1. Identify the verb: Find the action word in the sentence, such as "barked" in this example.
2. Look for a direct object: A transitive verb will have a direct object, which is the receiver of the action. In this case, if the dogs were barking at something specific, like a moonlit tree, then the verb would be transitive. However, since the sentence only mentions "the moon" without indicating it as the receiver of the action, the verb "barked" remains intransitive.
3. Check if the verb makes sense without a direct object: Intransitive verbs can usually stand alone and still make sense, while transitive verbs often require a direct object to complete the meaning. For example, "The dogs barked" still conveys a complete thought even without mentioning the moon.
Remember that intransitive and transitive verbs refer to whether a verb takes a direct object or not, and it is important to analyze the specific sentence in question to determine their classification.