Transitive and Intransitive Verbs—What’s the Difference?

A verb can be described as transitive or intransitive based on whether it requires an object to express a complete thought or not. A transitive verb is one that only makes sense if it exerts its action on an object. An intransitive verb will make sense without one. Some verbs may be used both ways.

The word transitive often makes people think of transit, which leads to the mistaken assumption that the terms transitive and intransitive are just fancy ways of describing action and nonaction. But these terms have nothing to do with whether a verb is active or not. A better word to associate when you see transitive is transfer. A transitive verb needs to transfer its action to something or someone—an object. In essence, transitive means “to affect something else.”

Once you have this concept committed to memory, spotting the difference between transitive and intransitive verbs is quite easy.

How to Identify a Transitive Verb

Transitive verbs are not just verbs that can take an object; they demand objects. Without an object to affect, the sentence that a transitive verb inhabits will not seem complete.

Please bring coffee.

In this sentence, the verb bring is transitive; its object is coffee, the thing that is being brought. Without an object of some kind, this verb cannot function.

Please bring.

Bring what, or who? The question begs itself because the meaning of bring demands it.

Here are some more examples of transitive verbs and their objects.

The girls carry water to their village.

Juan threw the ball.

Could you phone the neighbors?

I caught a cold.

She loves rainbows.

Lila conveyed the message.

Each of the verbs in these sentences have objects that complete the verbs’ actions. If the objects were taken out, the results would be illogical and questions would be raised in the mind of the reader; for example, Lila conveyed. Conveyed what?

How to Identify an Intransitive Verb

An intransitive verb is the opposite of a transitive verb: it does not require an object to act upon.

They jumped.

The dog ran.

She sang.

A light was shining.

None of these verbs require an object for the sentence to make sense, and all of them can end a sentence. Some imperative forms of verbs can even make comprehensible one-word sentences.

Run!

Sing!

A number of English verbs can only be intransitive; that is, they will never make sense paired with an object. Two examples of intransitive-only verbs are arrive and die. You can’t arrive something, and you certainly can’t die something; it is impossible for an object to follow these verbs.

Transitive or Intransitive? Some Verbs Can Be Both

Many verbs can be classified as both transitive and intransitive depending on how they are used in a sentence.

Urged by the others, she sang.

She sang the national anthem at the hockey game.

After he cleaned up, he left.

He left the gift on the table.

To decide whether the verb is being used transitively or intransitively, all you need to do is determine whether the verb has an object. Does she sing something? Does he leave something? The verb is only transitive when the answer is yes.

When in doubt, look it up. In the dictionary, verbs will be listed as transitive, intransitive, or both right under the pronunciation key, and any possible differences in meaning between the two uses will be given as well.

Phrasal Verbs and Transitivity

Phrasal verbs can also be classified as transitive or intransitive.

Cindy has decided to give up sweets while she diets.

I hope Cindy doesn’t give up.

Give up is just one of many phrasal verbs that can be transitive or intransitive. Whether give up has an object or not will alter the meaning it conveys. The first sense of give up means “to forgo something,” whereas the second sense means “to stop trying.”

If we refuse to learn about transitivity, the Grammar Police will blow up our building.

When the Grammar Police confronted her about her verbs, she blew up.

The first sense of to blow up means to explode, whereas the second sense means “to express rage.”

Transitive or intransitive is just one of the many classifications a verb can have. Perhaps you will be inspired to read about more about the fascinating qualities of verbs.

Four Ways to Read More Over the Holidays

Holiday season is fun, but it’s also hectic. You may get a few days off from work or school, but with all the parties, family gatherings, feast cooking, gift shopping, and other celebratory goings-on, there may not be much time left over. What’s a bookworm to do? Get creative, that’s what! Here are four ways to sneak some reading time into even the busiest holiday schedule.

1 Share the Joy

For many, the holiday season is an opportunity to gather loved ones together and spend quality time with each other. Why not turn reading into a bonding activity? Find a funny or heartwarming short story to read aloud to your family. Who knows? It may just become a beloved holiday tradition. If nothing else, it’s a good way to keep little ones entertained and out from underfoot—your hosts will thank you.

2 Carve Out Alone Time

We get it, though. Part of the reason many of us enjoy reading is the quiet alone time. We’re not suggesting you actually hide from your friends and family over the holidays, but there’s nothing wrong with turning down an invitation in favor of a quiet night in. And if there’s still holiday prep-work to be done (gift shopping, meal planning, travel arranging), get it out of the way today. With all that done, you can spend your precious holiday time reading instead of frantically trying to cross things off your to-do list.

3 Keep Your Book Handy

Be prepared to seize any opportunity. Will you be stuck in the car for an hour traveling to Aunt Miriam’s house? Don’t waste that transit time staring into space—bring your book along! After a lovely holiday dinner, you may find yourself surrounded by happily dozing friends and family—you might have time for a whole chapter. And if you really just need a break to peruse a page or two, you can always try that age-old introvert trick: pretending you have to go to the bathroom.

4 Explore New Ways of Absorbing Books

One reason to love ebooks is that you can carry your whole library around with you on an e-reader or even your mobile phone (see no. 3 for ways to take advantage of this). But don’t forget about audiobooks. If you’ve never listened to one, give it a try. Scrubbing down the kitchen before guests arrive isn’t such a tedious chore when you can also listen to a thrilling novel.

What are your strategies for making time to read during the holiday season?

Pronoun Reference Rules

Pronouns are words that stand in for a noun in a sentence. Whenever pronouns are used, it should be unmistakably clear which noun the pronoun is standing in for. A faulty pronoun reference will result in a muddled sentence and a confused reader.

A pronoun is like an actor’s double on a movie set: it is a simplified version of the noun it is standing in for.

The mother called the daughter.

The mother called her.

Her is a pronoun representing the daughter in a simple construction that causes no confusion. Consider this more complex sentence, however:

The mother called the daughter back to clean up her mess.

Did the daughter forget to do her dishes? Was the mother a slob who thought her daughter should clean up after her? Which person does the pronoun her refer to? This faulty pronoun reference can be easily corrected:

When the daughter made a mess, the mother called her back to clean it up.

Even with two pronouns, the references in this sentence are clear. Here is another example of a faulty pronoun reference.

Separate Daniel and Alexander and then give him a detention for fighting.

Here it is unclear to whom the pronoun him refers. Who is to be punished for fighting? Using the original noun will clarify things for the reader.

Separate Daniel and Alexander and then give Daniel a detention for fighting.

Poor Daniel; he appears to be the guilty party in this encounter, but at least the sentence is clear.

13 Professional Writers to Follow on Facebook

After a delightful meal, have you ever sent your compliments to the chef? Finishing a great novel can leave you with the same urge to congratulate the brilliant mind behind it. Did you know you can leave a message for your favorite author on Facebook? Besides messages, Facebook offers you the opportunity to discover a lot about your favorite writer. Let’s look at the pages of thirteen professional writers!

Insider Information

Khaled Hosseini

You might already know that Afghani-American author Khaled Hosseini practiced medicine before writing his three bestsellers—The Kite Runner, A Thousand Splendid Suns, and The Mountains Echoed. But do you know which humanitarian organization he actively supports?

Kazuo Ishiguro

Why did Ishiguro take a ten-year pause from writing? Not only will you find the answer in a video post from the author, you’ll also learn about the setting of The Buried Giant.

Michael Chabon

In reference to Moonglow, the New Yorker described Michael Chabon’s writing as “a scale model of the broken world.” His stories feature gender and race issues, and his Facebook page hosts some controversial comments from fans and non-fans. His page also features pictures from his early life, including an interesting one from 1978.

Join the Club!

Nicholas Sparks

Nicholas Sparks’s novels, such as The Notebook and Dear John, transitioned perfectly to the silver screen. It’s always fun to anticipate when his next novel or film will be released. Subscribe to his official mailing list via his Facebook page, and you will be among the first to get the news.

John Irving

John Irving’s assistant maintains his account, but promises “regular commentary from Mr. Irving himself.” Do you have questions about The World According to Garp or praise for The Cider House Rules? If you express yourself on his wall, you just might get a reply!

Quotes

Cormac McCarthy

“If trouble comes when you least expect it, then maybe the thing to do is to always expect it.” Do you agree with this quote from The Road by Cormac McCarthy? Compare your opinion with the rest of this Pulitzer Prize winner’s fan community.

Reading Guides and Summaries

Toni Morrison

Talk about teachable moments! Nobel Prize winner Toni Morrison’s Facebook offers summaries and reading guides for many of her thought-provoking novels. Whether you’re teaching a class or trying to make the grade, this page is a must-see!

Jodi Picoult

You’re a capable nurse, but your patients don’t want you treating their newborn because of the color of your skin. Later, the baby goes into cardiac distress. Do you perform CPR? In Small Great Things, you’ll find out what the nurse decides. And on Picoult’s Facebook page, you can access a reading guide guaranteed to spark plenty of discussion about this moral dilemma.

Collaborations and New Projects

George R.R. Martin

George R.R. Martin is famous for the Song of Ice and Fire series, but don’t think that he limits his creative process. Check out his latest posts about a project in collaboration with Nnedi Okorafor and HBO.

John Green

John Green, of The Fault in Our Stars fame, is releasing something new—Turtles All the Way Down. He plans to broadcast live shows on Facebook when he signs copies of his new book. You can pre-order a copy or catch a first glimpse of its cover on his page.

Beyond Their Books

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

The works of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (e.g., Purple Hibiscus, Half of a Yellow Sun) are available in thirty languages. She splits her time between the United States and her native Nigeria. Her page is a wealth of information on relations between Nigeria and other countries.

Joyce Carol Oates

What does an esteemed author think of the writing of others? Joyce Carol Oates posts her published reviews of literary works, such as If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin, as well as updates of her tour schedule.

John Grisham

John Grisham has written thirty novels, many of which are now motion pictures. Does he ever get a chance to read? Yes, he’s “plowing his way through” the books of a certain author. Find out whose writing he says is “just as as difficult now as it was [when he was] in high school.”

Do these Facebook author pages whet your appetite? Why not visit the page of your favorite writer today?

8 Mistakes to Avoid on Your Return from Vacation

What follows a fantastic vacation? For many, it’s the post-vacation blues. What you might not realize is that small, correctable mistakes may be the cause of your slump. Let’s learn the eight most avoidable of these errors so you can return from your next vacation on a high note.

1 Staying Gone Too Long

How can you guarantee yourself a horrifically stressful Monday? Arrive home from vacation late Sunday night! Resist the urge to spend all of your vacation days out of town. Instead, include a recuperation day or two at the end of your trip. Running a few errands is okay, but try to spend most of the evening relaxing at home. Unpack, check your email, and get a good night’s rest. Come Monday morning, you’ll be ready to face the day.

2 Apologizing

If you’re apologizing for going on vacation or not being completely caught up, stop it! Every hard worker deserves a break from time to time. And it’s only natural to need a few days to get back on track. On the other hand, feel free let people know that you are on vacation or have just returned by setting up an email autoreply.

3 Broadcasting Your Return

Of course, let your boss know you’re back. Beyond that, be selective. Flying under the radar will give you a chance to catch up on what you missed without being bombarded with questions and more work. Even going incognito for a half day will buy you some much needed quiet time.

4 Returning Emails in Chronological Order

You open your inbox and see about a hundred messages waiting for your attention. The only solution is to set aside a couple of hours and plug through them in order, right? Wrong! The email you received inviting you to connect with a vague acquaintance on LinkedIn is not as significant as the one from your boss about the project due at the end of the week. Here’s a strategy: Read the most recent emails first, but skip (or delete) anything that you can see from the subject line is of low priority. This method saves time because senders may have resolved many questions and issues in your absence. If not, they probably sent a follow-up email that will appear in your recent messages.

5 Failing to Delegate

“If you want something done right, do it yourself.” This adage is old and incorrect. Pick the most qualified members of your company and delegate tasks that are relevant to the ones they already do. If you are in management, inform your team who the go-to people are for certain projects, questions, and problems. Some employees fear delegating because they don’t want to seem replaceable. However, if you do it right, delegation will show your value. Organizational Behavior professor Jeffrey Pfeffer explains: “Your most important task as a leader is to teach people how to think. . .so that the world doesn’t go to hell if you take a day off,” Prepare everyone before your vacation, and your wisdom and managerial qualities will shine.”

6 Working Your Fingers to the Bone

Remember what they say about “all work and no play”? Don’t turn yourself into a dull boy! Just because your trip is over doesn’t mean your life is. According to medical professionals, negative emotions are normal after a happy event. Why not make some fun plans for your first weekend home? Even something small, such as visiting a new cafe with a couple of friends or renting a flick you want to see, will give you something to look forward to while you dig yourself out of a pile of paperwork.

7 Bringing in Souvenirs.

How many clients and colleagues pass through your working space in a typical day? Unless you want to take the time to explain the significance of your handmade Central American rain stick to each passerby, you ought to leave it at home. Besides, seeing photos of the delicious food you sampled and the adventures you had might deepen your post-vacation nostalgia. If you can’t resist showing off some memento of your trip, try sharing something that everyone can enjoy. Leaving a box of exotic candy in the breakroom would be just the trick.

8 Saying Yes to Unessential Work

Optional or voluntary duties are a great way to support your company—when you have spare time. Saying no, although it may feel uncomfortable, ensures you will have time to complete everything on your to-do list. Be firm, but kind: “I’d love to help you, but my schedule won’t allow it.”

Which of these mistakes have you made? You can’t change the past, but you can apply these tips to your next holiday. The next time you book a trip, refer to this article so you can plan a seamless return.

5 Tips for Avoiding Work on Your Vacation

Like many of us, I’ve been a victim of working whilst being on holiday. As someone who works for a handful of startups and for myself, the pressure of not being connected or involved was always front of mind as I headed off to the sun.

Our modern society keeps us connected to the world of social media, apps, email, and cloud services. On average, we commence 150 mobile sessions on our smartphones every single day. Another study highlights that this can consist of over 2,500 touches. Staying in the loop has become a natural human habit, and we weave it into our vacation routines. Many people jump on emails, written work, calls, and even meetings when they’re supposed to be soaking up the sun on vacation. For many of us, work takes up one-third to one-half of every day.

Sounds obvious, but vacations boost our mood. Everything from daily stress to our risk for developing heart problems decreases. The American Medical Association’s research showed that, for men, taking a yearly vacation decreased the likelihood of heart disease by 32 percent.

The same resonates for productivity. Seventy-seven percent of HR professionals believe that your productivity and results improve after a vacation.

We’ve put together a few suggestions for avoiding work on vacation, but also addressing the planned vacation, so your calendar is totally free in advance:

1Work like a machine

Working on holiday isn’t ideal. Making sure you are prepared is important if you hope to avoid even a glimpse of work during the vacation.

Making sure you plan ahead will save you a lot of efforts when you are on holiday. Doing an extra hour or two of work each night the week before your vacation will pay off. Putting in extra hours now will allow you to zone out of work by leaving all of your work energy at the office.

2Create an Out-of-Office Reply

A well-constructed out-of-office email can be a very effective way to reduce any incoming workload while you’re on vacation. Out of office replies alert your colleagues and contacts that there will be a delay in response.

To reduce the chance of any annoying messages, meeting requests, or even calls while you’re on vacation, you’ll need to make sure your OOO message points people in the right direction.

Before you jet off, spend some time creating a draft OOO message.

Here are a few things to consider as you begin to craft your auto responses:

• Inform them with websites, links, statistics.
• Re-direct them with contacts, email addresses, or phone numbers.
• Educate them with attachments, websites, and articles.
• Entertain then with a snappy bit of comedy about where you are.

Pass the draft over to one of your colleagues or even your manager to double check that you are directing people to the best resources. It’s easy to do, and it can free you from having to check email on your vacation.

3Prepare Your Internal Team

For your co-workers, you heading off for a few days (or even weeks) could present a logistical nightmare. All of the knowledge you hold travels with you. Capturing that knowledge where your teammates can access it makes life easier for everyone.

Using services like Evernote, Dropbox, and Google Drive to store essential information in clear, well-outlined folders will help pass the baton to those still in the office.

Evernote is a great example of a service for capturing notes, images, and documents. You can create a free account here. Start creating a mega note with all of the useful information and data that your internal team will need while you’re gone. Send them the note before you leave and ensure they know what’s inside.

The same can be done using a Dropbox account to help keep all of the cogs turning.

4Clear Your Mind

Zenning out on holiday is one of the biggest challenges for many people. According to data provided travel company Expedia, only 53 percent of workers come back feeling rested after their holiday. This is a huge problem for the world of work.

If employees aren’t getting the rest they need, company productivity and, more importantly, employees’ mental health, will suffer.

Meditation is growing in popularity thanks to its cognitive benefits. Meditation boosts memory and reduces stress and anxiety. A 2012 study found that, over an eight-week period, meditation reduced stress in candidates who meditated after they worked on tests or exercises.

Many people try to avoid personal development activities while on vacation because practicing them can feel like work in itself. However, meditation is something you should consider. A five to ten minute daily meditation during your vacation can help to clear your mind of stress, negative feelings, and even anxiety about work issues.

Spending time on yourself is so important. If you are still skeptical, try the following for a full week and see how you get on.

How to get started:

• Download a meditation app like Headspace, Calm, or Mindfulness
• Try a five-minute meditation for a full week, in a quiet environment
• Find a meditation buddy to work with

The benefits of meditation are continuing to grow. This evidence-based resource provides a strong list of cognitive, stress-associated, and health benefits to meditating.

5No Wi-Fi zones

Exploring rural areas on your vacation can be a little unnerving. Your knowledge of the area is often limited, and you’re likely to face language barriers. To make matters worse, you may encounter Wi-Fi dead zones.

Scary, right?! Not necessarily. Getting out of the reach of technology can also be very effective at helping you to escape work. If you want to zen out fully, there’s no better excuse than being in an area with no access to Wi-Fi. Rather than trying to figure out phone contracts and ways to stay connected, why not just disconnect? If it’s free to call emergency services wherever you’re headed, then there may be no need for Wi-Fi.

Whether or not you successfully avoid work on vacation is totally up to you. If you can remove digital temptations and mentally remove yourself from the work zone, you’re more likely to return to work refreshed and ready to tackle any challenge.

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About the author:Francesco D’Alessio runs a YouTube channel with over 8,000 subscribers that features weekly videos about productivity apps and tools. He works remotely in the South West of the UK for a handful of technology startups.

13 Kinds of Grammar Trolls We Love to Hate

How many different rules of grammar and punctuation exist? For every rule, there exists a person eager to publicly expose any rulebreakers. These vigilante defenders of grammatical order are grammar trolls. Here are thirteen types to watch out for.

The Fish Throwers

In the world of writing, a red herring doesn’t refer to a fish. Instead, it’s misleading or distracting information. Fish Throwers are grammar trolls who don’t add anything essential to a conversation. Rather than focusing on the objective of the writing, they distract everyone by criticizing grammar. Who do they think they are? You might ask these trolls, “What does that have to do with the price of tea in China?”

The Drowning Fish Throwers

Closely related to Fish Throwers are the Drowning Fish Throwers. These trolls begin as regular interlocutors on social media. However, sooner or later they get into a debate and begin to lose the argument. Rather than admit defeat, they try to win points by insulting their opponents’ grammar. Unfortunately, they don’t fool anyone.

The Late Bloomers

The discussion is over. Everyone has had their say. But someone out there thinks that it’s still necessary to comment on a post. Who is it? None other than the Late Bloomer, a troll who wants to point out errors from years past. This troll doesn’t realize that everyone else has moved on to new topics. The good news is, no one really reads late arrivals anyway.

The Breeders

How many tweets does the average person publish each day? Breeder trolls multiply tweets by the hour! In their opinion, it’s their sacred duty to point out each and every spelling error with an asterisk and the correct spelling. Confused words prompt them to question the writer: “Did you mean. . .?” Comma splices practically make steam pour from their ears. These highly educated grammar trolls have too much time on their hands. Wouldn’t it be best if they found a more productive hobby?

The Franks

No, Frank isn’t the real first name of this troll. However, it does describe his personality. To be frank is to be honest and straightforward in your speech. Frank trolls tell it like it is. They aren’t trying to hurt you. Actually, they want to help you by pointing out the obvious. The trouble is, sometimes people don’t like the truth and certainly not when it comes in the form of public censure. Frank, might you start a private chat next time?

The Derps

Maybe this troll isn’t dumb, but his comments are. Enough said!

The Jumpy Jurors

Have you ever been wrongly accused of committing a grammar faux pas? Jumpy Jurors base all their judgments on circumstantial evidence. They don’t read the piece carefully. They don’t research to make sure their understanding is correct before making an accusation. Forget innocent until proven guilty. In their eyes, you’re wrong! Don’t bother trying to present evidence because jumpy jurors never listen to reason. And the only opinion that matters to them is their own.

The Broken Mirror Trolls

Broken Mirror Trolls are so busy looking at your grammar that they forget to examine their own. It’s as if they don’t have a spelling checker installed in their word processing program. How dare they critique anyone else with so many mistakes in their own writing? These trolls need to take a good look in a non-broken mirror!

The Bandwagon Riders

Bandwagon Riders don’t know a lot about grammar. However, they have mastered the difference between possessive pronouns, such as your and their, and contractions, such as you’re and they’re. Empowered with a little knowledge that they learned from other trolls, they vocally and viciously identify typos they find online. These trolls are practically unstoppable because each correction they make feeds their egos.

The Passive-Aggressive Trolls

The Passive Aggressive Trolls would never directly correct you. Oh, no! They simply post comments that are suspiciously similar to yours, only with certain changes to punctuation and syntax. These trolls hate Frank, by the way.

The Stalker Trolls

Stalker Trolls are the creepiest of all the grammar trolls. These trolls didn’t stumble upon an error by accident; they searched all your posts methodically and commented on every one. Why are they targeting you? Is it for attention? Are they jealous? Their motives are highly suspect, so your best course of action is to avoid these bad guys.

The Internet Arsonists

These trolls start trouble for one reason and for one reason only. They find it amusing to start trouble and then read the resulting comments. Usually, they don’t even participate after they have made their scorching attacks. For them, the fun lies in watching you burn in anger or shame.

The Fire Squads

It’s perhaps unfair to accuse members of the troll Fire Squad of being trolls themselves; the phrase “anti-troll” might be more apt. These folks look for fires started by Internet Arsonists and douse the flames by posting quotes from reputable sources to resolve the dispute. These are the people you will want to call if you need someone to protect and defend your writing.

Why learn about grammar trolls? According to The Art of War, “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.” If you really want to take a stand against grammar trolls, use this list to identify their motives. Then, you can decide whether you want to thank your troll, ignore him, or retaliate with a scathing comment of your own.