Intransitive

In grammar, 'intransitive' describes a verb that does not take a direct object. This means the action of the verb does not act upon or affect a specific noun or pronoun within the sentence. Instead, the action of the verb stands alone, often describing a state of being, a movement, or an action performed by the subject without involving a receiver. Sentences containing intransitive verbs often end with an adverbial phrase or no further modifying elements. Identifying an intransitive verb is crucial for understanding sentence structure and meaning, especially when distinguishing it from its counterpart, the transitive verb, which requires a direct object. These verbs often describe actions or states internal to the subject itself, making them distinct from verbs conveying actions directed outwards.

Intransitive meaning with examples

• The birds sang beautifully in the morning. The verb 'sang' doesn't act on anything specific; the singing action is performed solely by the birds (the subject). No object is needed to complete the sentence. Consider how the sentence would change if we tried to use an object; The birds sang the song. Here, we've added a transitive verb with the use of the direct object 'song'.
• She arrived late for the meeting. 'Arrived' denotes a simple act of coming to a place; there's no direct object that receives the action of arriving. The 'late' modifies the verb, providing information about how she arrived, not what she affected. The verb describes the woman as arriving or not arriving at an event. Without further modification, the subject is all that is necessary.
• The old house stood on the hill for centuries. 'Stood' describes a state of being; the house's position is described but it doesn't act upon anything. The phrase 'on the hill' provides location information, but it is an adverbial phrase not an object. The sentence describes the action of the subject, making it intransitive.
• The baby smiled sweetly. 'Smiled' expresses an action performed by the baby, but there is no receiver. The sentence describes the action, and 'sweetly' adds the adverbial modification to provide details. If we were to make it transitive, we would need to say something like 'the baby smiled at the stranger', with 'at the stranger' acting as an indirect object.