Look at these two sentences.
He tumbled backward.
It turned its head.
The first sentence has an intransitive verb, a verb without an object. The second sentence has a transitive verb. It has a direct object. We can ask: “What did it turn?” You can answer: “Its head. It turned its head.” Say whether the verb in each sentence below transitive or intransitive. Ask yourself a ‘what’ question about the verb, as in the example above.
(For some verbs, the object is a person, so ask the question ‘who’ instead of ‘what’).
(i) Jody then went to the kitchen.
(ii) The fawn wobbled after him.
(iii) You found him.
(iv) He picked it up.
(v) He dipped his fingers in the milk.
(vi) It bleated frantically and butted him.
(vii) The fawn sucked his fingers.
(viii) He lowered his fingers slowly into the milk.
(ix) It stamped its small hoofs impatiently.
(x) He held his fingers below the level of the milk.
(i) Who went to the kitchen? (Jodi)
(ii) Who wobbled after him? (The fawn)
(iii) What did you find? (him-the fawn)
(iv) What did he pick? (it-the fawn)
(v) What did he dip in the milk? (his fingers)
(vi) When did it bleat and but? (him)
(vii) What did the fawn suck? (his fingers-Jody’s fingers)
(viii) What did he lower slowly into the milk? (his fingers)
(ix) What did it stamp impatiently? (its small hoofs)
(x) What did he hold below the level of the milk? (his fingers)
Verb in each sentence
(i) Intransitive
(ii) Intransitive
(iii) Transitive
(iv) Transitive
(v) Transitive
(vi) Transitive
(vii) Transitive
(viii) Transitive
(ix) Transitive
(x) Transitive