Class 8 English Grammar: Transitive and Intransitive Verbs

I wrote a letter.
Children like sweets.
In each of these sentences the verb takes an object. ‘Song’, ‘letter’ and ‘sweets’ are objects. A verb that takes an object is called a Transitive Verb. The object usually answers the question what ? Or whom ?
Now look at the following sentences :
Birds fly.
The sun shines.
These verbs do not require objects. They express the actions by themselves and make the sense complete. They are called Intransitive Verbs. Some Verbs can be used both Transitively and Intransitively.

Verbs Used Intransitively Verbs Used Transitively
1. Birds fly Boys fly kites
2. The horse runs fast I ran a race

Exercise
Pick out the Transitive and Intransitive Verbs in the following sentences. Name the Object of each Transitive Verb:
1. I killed a snake.
2. The ship sank.
3. She jumped into the well.
4. She spoke slowly.
5. The sun rose in the East.
6. I broke the plates.
7. The play lasted an hour.
8. This pen costs five rupees.

II. The Conjugation of Verbs
To Conjugate a Verb means to give its four Principal forms :
Present Past
Past Participle Present Participle
If the Past or Past Participle is formed from the Present Tense by changing the Vowel of a Verb ; as—
Take, took, taken and do, did. done
the Verb is said to be a Strong Verb.
If the Verb requires the addition of ‘ecf, ‘d’ or ‘f to form their Past and Past Participles, they are called Weak Verbs ; as—
Finish, finished, finished : die, died, died and build, built, built.

Group I
(Where no ‘n’ is added to the Past Participle)
Present Past Past Participle Present Participle
Abide abode abode abiding
Awake awoke awoke awaking
Become became become becoming
Begin began begun beginning
Dig dug dug digging
Drink drank drunk drinking
Fight fought fought fighting
Find found found finding
Hold held held holding
Lie lied lied lying
Ring rang rung ringing
Run ran run running
Shine shone shone shining
Sing sang sung singing
Sit sat sat sitting