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Intransitive verbs are verbs that do not take a direct object. They can express an action, event, or change without requiring a person or thing to receive the action directly.
Look at these examples:
- The baby slept.
- Everyone laughed.
- The guests arrived.
- The leaves fell.
Each sentence is complete without a direct object. However, intransitive verbs can still be followed by words or phrases that tell us how, when, or where something happens.
Understanding intransitive verbs helps you recognize sentence patterns, distinguish direct objects from other sentence elements, and understand why some verbs can be used both transitively and intransitively.
What Is an Intransitive Verb?
An intransitive verb is a verb that does not take a direct object. A direct object is the person or thing directly affected by the action of a verb.
Consider:
The baby slept.
- Subject: the baby
- Verb: slept
- Direct object: none
The verb slept does not need an object to complete the sentence.
Cambridge defines an intransitive verb as one that does not have or need an object, while British Council gives the basic intransitive pattern as Noun (subject) + Verb.
Compare:
Sara opened the window.
Here, the window is the direct object of opened. The verb is therefore being used transitively.
The central distinction is:
Transitive verb → takes a direct object
Intransitive verb → does not take a direct object
The important point is not simply whether words appear after the verb. What matters is whether the verb has a direct object.
Sentence Structure of Intransitive Verbs
The simplest sentence pattern with an intransitive verb is:
Subject + Intransitive Verb
For example:
Birds fly.
The child laughed.
The guests arrived.
The old man coughed.
British Council identifies this basic pattern as Noun + Verb, in contrast with a transitive pattern that also contains an object.
An intransitive sentence can also contain additional information:
The child laughed loudly.
The guests arrived at noon.
The birds flew over the lake.
The words after the verb provide additional information, but they do not necessarily function as direct objects.
This gives us another common pattern:
Subject + Intransitive Verb + Adverbial
For example:
The children played outside.
Here:
- The children = subject
- played = intransitive verb
- outside = adverbial
The verb still has no direct object.
Words and Phrases After Intransitive Verbs
An intransitive verb does not have to appear at the end of a sentence. It can be followed by different kinds of information without taking a direct object.
Adverbs
An adverb can describe how an action happens:
She smiled warmly.
Warmly tells us how she smiled.
The baby slept peacefully.
Peacefully describes how the baby slept.
Prepositional Phrases
A prepositional phrase can provide information about place, direction, time, or another circumstance:
They arrived at the station.
At the station tells us where they arrived.
We waited outside the building.
Outside the building provides information about place.
Time Expressions
An intransitive verb can also be followed by information about time:
The meeting ended at five.
The guests arrived yesterday.
These expressions do not become direct objects simply because they follow the verb. Learner-focused grammar references similarly note that intransitive verbs may be accompanied by adverbs and prepositional phrases.
Compare:
She opened the door.
the door = direct object
But:
She arrived at the door.
at the door = prepositional phrase
The noun door appears in both examples, but its grammatical function is different.
Common Intransitive Verbs with Examples
Some English verbs are commonly used without direct objects. Cambridge lists verbs such as appear, arrive, come, cough, die, disappear, fall, happen, rain, rise, sneeze, and work among verbs commonly used intransitively. British Council also gives common examples such as arrive, cry, die, fall, happen, laugh, smile, and work.
| Intransitive Verb | Example |
|---|---|
| arrive | The train arrived late. |
| appear | A rainbow appeared. |
| come | They came early. |
| cough | He coughed loudly. |
| die | The plant died. |
| disappear | The clouds disappeared. |
| fall | The leaves fell slowly. |
| happen | Something strange happened. |
| laugh | Everyone laughed. |
| rain | It rained all night. |
| rise | The temperature rose quickly. |
| sneeze | She sneezed twice. |
| sleep | The baby slept peacefully. |
| wait | We waited outside. |
| work | My computer is working again. |
Notice that some examples contain words after the verb. Late, loudly, slowly, all night, and outside add information, but none functions as a direct object.
Also remember that many English verbs can have more than one grammatical use. A verb should therefore be classified according to how it functions in the particular sentence.
Identifying Intransitive Verbs in Sentences
The most reliable way to identify an intransitive verb is to examine its relationship with the other elements in the sentence.
Follow these steps:
1. Find the main verb.
The baby cried loudly.
The main verb is cried.
2. Look for a direct object.
Check whether a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase functions as the direct object of the verb.
The baby cried loudly.
There is no direct object.
3. Examine the words after the verb.
Loudly is an adverb. It describes how the baby cried.
4. Identify the verb’s use.
Because cried has no direct object, it is being used intransitively.
Consider another example:
The visitors arrived at the hotel.
- Subject: the visitors
- Verb: arrived
- Direct object: none
- at the hotel: prepositional phrase
Therefore, arrived is intransitive.
Now compare:
Maria opened the box.
- Subject: Maria
- Verb: opened
- Direct object: the box
Here, opened is transitive.
Asking what? or whom? after a verb can sometimes help learners locate a direct object, but this should not be treated as an absolute grammatical test. The safer method is to examine the sentence structure and determine whether the verb actually has a direct object. Scribbr similarly bases identification on whether the verb takes a direct object.
Verbs with Both Transitive and Intransitive Uses
Many English verbs can be used transitively in one sentence and intransitively in another.
Cambridge and British Council both recognize this pattern.
Consider:
She ate an apple.
an apple = direct object
ate = transitive use
But:
She already ate.
Direct object = none
ate = intransitive use
Another example:
He drives a truck.
a truck = direct object
drives = transitive
But:
He drives carefully.
Direct object = none
drives = intransitive
Compare:
She sings beautiful songs.
→ Transitive
She sings beautifully.
→ Intransitive
The verb itself has not necessarily changed. Its grammatical use in the sentence has changed.
These verbs are sometimes described as ambitransitive verbs—verbs that can occur in both transitive and intransitive constructions. Scribbr and EnglishClub both use this terminology.
For learners, however, the most important principle is simple:
Do not classify a verb only by looking at the verb itself. Check how it is being used in the sentence.
Ergative Verbs
Some verbs have a particularly important relationship between their transitive and intransitive uses.
Consider:
Tom opened the door.
- Subject: Tom
- Verb: opened
- Direct object: the door
This is transitive.
Now compare:
The door opened.
- Subject: the door
- Verb: opened
- Direct object: none
This is intransitive.
Notice what has happened:
Tom opened the door.
→ the door = object
The door opened.
→ the door = subject
British Council describes verbs with this pattern as ergative verbs. It gives examples such as begin, break, change, close, drop, grow, increase, open, start, stop, and turn.
More examples:
She broke the glass.
→ Transitive
The glass broke.
→ Intransitive
We boiled the water.
→ Transitive
The water boiled.
→ Intransitive
They started the meeting.
→ Transitive
The meeting started.
→ Intransitive
The intransitive construction allows us to describe the event or change without naming an external person or thing that caused it.
Transitive and Intransitive Uses: Changes in the Subject
When the same verb can be used both transitively and intransitively, the grammatical relationship between the subject and the event may change.
Sometimes the difference is mainly the presence or absence of an object:
She is eating lunch.
She is eating.
The basic meaning remains similar.
With other verbs, however, the subject plays a different role.
Consider:
The boy opened the window.
The subject, the boy, performs or causes the action.
Now compare:
The window opened.
The subject, the window, undergoes the event or change.
Cambridge specifically distinguishes this pattern: in the transitive construction the subject performs the action, whereas in the corresponding intransitive construction the action or event happens to the subject.
Another example:
They increased the price.
The subject causes the increase.
The price increased.
The subject undergoes the change.
And:
The chef melted the butter.
The chef causes the change.
The butter melted.
The butter undergoes the change.
This is why understanding the relationship between the verb and its subject is particularly useful when studying verbs that have both transitive and intransitive uses.
Intransitive Verbs and the Passive Voice
Ordinary intransitive constructions cannot normally form a corresponding passive because they have no direct object to become the subject of the passive sentence. Collins includes the inability to form an ordinary passive in its definition of an intransitive verb.
Consider:
The guests arrived.
There is no direct object.
Therefore, we cannot normally say:
❌ The guests were arrived.
Similarly:
The accident happened.
Not:
❌ The accident was happened.
Compare this with a transitive construction:
The chef prepared the meal.
Here, the meal is the direct object.
The passive sentence is:
The meal was prepared by the chef.
The difference follows directly from the object structure:
Transitive:
The chef prepared the meal.
→ The meal was prepared.
Intransitive:
The guests arrived.
→ No direct object is available to become the passive subject.
This connection between transitivity and passive formation is also reflected in learner grammar resources.
Common Mistakes with Intransitive Verbs
A common learner error is treating a normally intransitive verb as if it could take a direct object.
❌ We arrived the station.
✓ We arrived at the station.
In standard English, arrive does not take the station as its direct object. A preposition is needed in this construction.
Another common problem is assuming that every noun after a verb must be a direct object.
Consider:
She waited at the bus stop.
At the bus stop is a prepositional phrase. It is not a direct object.
Similarly:
They arrived in London.
In London provides information about place; it is not a direct object.
Learners may also assume that a verb is permanently transitive or permanently intransitive.
Compare:
I ate dinner.
→ Transitive
I already ate.
→ Intransitive
The correct classification depends on the verb’s use in the sentence.
Finally, avoid trying to create an ordinary passive from an intransitive construction:
❌ The station was arrived by the train.
✓ The train arrived at the station.
The original sentence has no direct object that can become the subject of a corresponding passive.
Intransitive Verbs Practice Exercise
Decide whether the bold verb is being used transitively or intransitively.
- The children laughed loudly.
- Sara opened the window.
- The window opened slowly.
- Our guests arrived at six.
- He drives a taxi.
- He drives carefully.
- The glass broke suddenly.
- Ali broke the glass.
- The baby slept peacefully.
- They started the meeting at nine.
Answers
- Intransitive
- Transitive
- Intransitive
- Intransitive
- Transitive
- Intransitive
- Intransitive
- Transitive
- Intransitive
- Transitive
FAQs
What is an intransitive verb?
An intransitive verb is a verb that does not take a direct object. For example, slept is intransitive in The baby slept.
What are some common intransitive verbs?
Common examples include arrive, appear, come, cough, die, disappear, fall, happen, rain, rise, sneeze, and work.
How can you identify an intransitive verb?
Examine the sentence and determine whether the verb has a direct object. Also check that words following the verb are not simply adverbs or prepositional phrases.
Can words come after an intransitive verb?
Yes. Intransitive verbs can be followed by adverbs, prepositional phrases, and other adverbial information. These elements do not function as direct objects.
Can the same verb be transitive and intransitive?
Yes. Many verbs can have both uses. For example, She sings songs contains a transitive use, while She sings beautifully contains an intransitive use. Cambridge and British Council both recognize verbs that occur with and without objects.
What is the difference between transitive and intransitive verbs?
A transitive verb takes a direct object, while an intransitive verb does not. The distinction should be based on how the verb functions in the sentence.
Can intransitive verbs be used in the passive voice?
An ordinary intransitive construction cannot normally form a corresponding passive because it has no direct object to become the passive subject.
Final Takeaway
Intransitive verbs do not take direct objects. They can stand alone or be followed by adverbs, prepositional phrases, and other information that is not a direct object.
Some verbs are commonly intransitive, while many others can have both transitive and intransitive uses. The most useful learner rule is therefore to examine the complete sentence: identify the verb, check whether it has a direct object, and determine how the verb is functioning in that particular context.
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