1. Transitive Verb
The transitive verb has two voices: active and passive.
Study the following examples:
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Subject
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Verb
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Complement
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Active
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John
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drives
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a car.
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Passive
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A car
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is driven
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by John.
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Active
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He teaches English.
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Passive
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English is taught by him.
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Active
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The speaker presented a new idea.
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Passive
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A new idea was presented by the speaker.
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The transitive verb in the passive voice does not always show who performed the action. For example:
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Subject
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Verb
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Complement
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English
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is taught
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in the Language School.
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The exam
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will be given
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tomorrow.
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A movie
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was shown
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last week.
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A variety of patterns may be formed with the transitive verb.
Study the following examples:
ACTIVE
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Subject
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Verb
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Complement
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|
The teacher
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taught
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English to the students.
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The teacher
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taught
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the students English.
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PASSIVE
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Subject
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Verb
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Complement
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English
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was taught
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by the teacher to the students.
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English
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was taught
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to the students by the teacher.
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The students
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were taught
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English by the teacher.
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Some verbs are almost always used transitively.
Examples:
- To set – set, set, set – He set the book on the table.
- To raise – raise, raised, raised – He raised the window.
- To lay – lay, laid, laid – She laid the coat on the chair.
Exception: The sun sets in the West.
2. Intransitive Verb
Some verbs can only be used intransitively.
Examples:
- To sit - sit, sat, sat – He sits in the front row.
- To rise – rise, rose, risen – The sun rises in the East.
- To lie – lie, lay, lain – He lay in bed all day.
Many verbs in English may be used intransitively or transitively. Notice the verb is not followed by an object when it is used intransitively.
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Subject
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Verb
|
Complement
|
|
I
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drive.
|
|
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I
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drive
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a car.
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He
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plays.
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|
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He
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plays
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the piano.
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They
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read.
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|
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They
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read
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books.
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3. Linking Verb
The linking verb is used to connect the subject with two kind of complements:
1) An adjective that describes the subject;
2) A noun or noun equivalent that means the same as the subject.
The linking verb patterns as follows:
Pattern 1. Subject linked with adjective.
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Subject
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Verb
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Complement
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|
She
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is
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beautiful.
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The cake
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tastes
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good
|
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He
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became
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ill.
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I
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feel
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bad.
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The student
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seemed
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angry.
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I
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am getting
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hungry.
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Verbs commonly used in this construction:
Act
Appear
Be
Become
Feel
Get
Look
Prove
Seem
Smell
Sound
Taste
Pattern 2. Subject linked with noun or noun equivalent.
The verb most commonly used in this construction are be and become, and the verb phrases appear to be and get to be. Of similar construction also are the verb phrases feel like, look like, smell like, taste like and act like, which express a partial or doubtful between subject and complement.
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Subject
|
Verb
|
Complement
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John
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is
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a student.
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He
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appears to be
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a student.
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He
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became
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a pilot.
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This
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is getting to be
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a problem.
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It
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was
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I that suggested it.
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That
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tastes like
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sugar.
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It
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was
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we who said that.
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He
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acts like
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a decent person.
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