Verb patterns: with and without objects

Verbs: transitive and intransitive uses

Some verbs always need an object. These are called transitive verbs. Some verbs never have an object. These are called intransitive verbs. Some verbs can be used with or without an object. These are called transitive (with an object) and intransitive (without an object) uses of the verbs.

Verbs with an object (transitive)

These verbs are mostly used transitively:

Did you enjoythe film?

I can’t findher name on the list.

Suzanne tookmy car keys.

These objects (underlined above) are called direct objects.

We don’t need a preposition after these verbs:

The book emphasises the role of the arts in society.

Not: The book emphasises on the role of the arts in society.

See also:

Objects

Linking verbs

Want

Verbs with no object (intransitive)

Verbs which are most commonly used intransitively:

Suddenly Joss appeared in the doorway.

Rita looked upset – do you know what happened?

Did it rain last night?

Transitive or intransitive

Some verbs can be used with an object (transitively) or without an object (intransitively). Sometimes the meaning is the same. (Objects are underlined.)

In these examples, although one use has an object and the other does not, the meaning is more or less the same.

Relationship between verb and subject

Some verbs can be used with or without an object, but the relationship between the verb and the subject is different in each case. When these verbs have an object, the subject does the action. When they have no object, the action or event happens to the subject.

(s = subject; v = verb; o = object)

Verbs with direct and indirect objects

Some verbs take two objects, a direct object and an indirect object. The indirect object is the person or thing that receives the direct object. The indirect object (underlined in the examples) comes before the direct object (in bold):

Can I askyoua question?

They chargedme£150 for three hours.

She gaveher brotheran MP3 player for his birthday.

Buying things on the Internet savespeoplea lot of time.

Prepositional complements can operate as an alternative to indirect objects with some of these verbs:

(pc = prepositional complement; io = indirect object; do = direct object)

I gave[DO]an old jacket of mine[PC]to my brother. (or I gave[IO]my brother[DO]an old jacket of mine.)

He oweda lot of moneyto his parents. (or Heowedhis parentsa lot of money.)

Edith foundan excellent violin teacherfor us. (or Edithfoundusan excellent violin teacher.)

See also:

Passive

Complements

Verbs followed by a direct object and a prepositional phrase of time or place

Some verbs take a direct object and a prepositional phrase of time or place:

(do = direct object; pp = prepositional phrase)

Could you stand [DO]that vase of flowers[PP]on the little table, please?

You can put [DO]your bag[PP]on the back seat.

Verbs followed by a direct object and an -ed clause

Some verbs can be followed by a direct object (underlined) and a clause containing the -ed form of a verb:

I getmy carmended locally.

They hadthe whole houserepainted.

We needeverythingcleaned and tidied by the end of the day.

See also:

Get passive

Have

Verbs followed by a wh-clause as direct object

Wh-clause as direct object

Many verbs which can be followed by a that-clause can also be used with a clause beginning with who, what, when, where, which, whose, why or how as the direct object. We call these wh-clauses (underlined in the examples below):

Miriam explainedhow she had done it.

I didn’t realisewho it was at first.

Can you rememberwhat they told us at the hotel?

Wh-clause + to-infinitive

Many of the verbs which can be followed by a wh-clause can also be followed by a wh-clause with to-infinitive (underlined below):

We discussedwhat to do about the community hall.

I really don’t knowwho to suggest as a replacement for Jim.

Can you seehow to put paper into this printer?

• be-coming-up
• be composed of
• be-composed-of
• be composed of something
• be composed of sth
• be concerned with
• be concerned with
• be-concerned-with
• be concerned with sb
• be concerned with someone
• be concerned with something
• be concerned with something/someone
• be concerned with sth
• be confined to
• be-confined-to
• be confined to something
• be confined to somewhere
• be confined to somewhere/something
• be confined to sth
• be-conscious-of
• be conscious of
• be conscious of sb
• be conscious of someone
• be conscious of something
• be conscious of something/someone