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transitive verb
Posted: Mon Oct 25, 2004 5:21 am
by hanuman_2000
Sir,
How can I know that in particular sentence a verb is transitive or intransitive?
e.g
He went home.
He ran a long distance.
Thanks.
Posted: Mon Oct 25, 2004 7:29 am
by Alan
Consult a good dictionary!
(Failing that, ask me!)
verb
Posted: Mon Oct 25, 2004 1:12 pm
by hanuman_2000
Sir,
I have read from a dictionary that a transitive verb takes object and intransitive verb does not take object.
but in followinf sentences I have some confusion e.g
I ran a long distance.
I=subject
ran =verb
a long distance=? is it object?.
Thanks.
Posted: Tue Oct 26, 2004 12:10 pm
by Alan
No, the phrase ' a long distance' would normally be reckoned an adverbial (technically termed an 'adverbial objective'), since it specifies HOW FAR he ran, rather than 'what'. Compare this with
He ran a race.
where 'race' really could be reckoned an object.
Typically, though, 'run' is intransitive.
Posted: Tue Oct 26, 2004 1:46 pm
by googl
Dear Alan,
is it adjunct? (is adjunct the same as adverbial objective?)
Posted: Wed Oct 27, 2004 2:40 am
by Alan
An averbial objective is only one kind of adverbial adjunct: it is a NP before which a preposition has been ellipted, as here where 'a long distance' really means 'FOR a long distance'.
An adjunct is any constituent element of a phrase other than the head.