How to Use Intransitive Verbs

If you want to use intransitive verbs, you'll have to understand what they are. It's a big-sounding word, but intransitive verb just means this: the verb doesn't have an object after it. If you don't know what an object is, simply put, it's the thing that has the verb done to it. Use the following tips to learn about intransitive verbs and how to use them in sentences.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Identify transitive verbs to be able to eliminate them. Look at these sentences: I broke the dish. I climbed the fence. I rode the horse. All of these verbs are transitive. They have to have something, an object, along with them.

2. Look at examples of intransitive verbs. These verbs make short little sentences. I wept. I laughed. I smiled. These are examples of intransitive verbs.

3. Use adverbs with intransitive verbs. I smiled broadly. She laughed loudly. He wept ponderously. These words that you add don't make the verb transitive. They're describing words that go along with your intransitive verbs.

4. Utilize prepositions with your intransitive verbs. There are a whole lot of prepositions you can use. Look at this one: I cried to the heavens. "To the heavens" is a prepositional phrase added to your intransitive verb "cried." Again, these prepositions are descriptive. You can use prepositions like under, over, around and through, as well as many others.

5. Get good at adding all kinds of clauses to intransitive verbs. You'll still know what those verbs are, but you'll be decorating them with descriptive language.

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