Practice distinguishing between action verbs that take objects and those that stand alone with this 15-question grammar exercise.

Let's solve this step-by-step. The task is to identify whether the underlined verb in each sentence is transitive or intransitive.

🔹 Definitions:

- Transitive Verb: A verb that requires a direct object (the receiver of the action).
- Example: *She kicked the ball.* ("kicked" is transitive; "the ball" is the direct object)
- Intransitive Verb: A verb that does not take a direct object.
- Example: *He sleeps.* ("sleeps" is intransitive; no object)

Now, let’s go through each sentence:

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1. When he arrived, nobody was there to greet him.
- Underlined: arrived
- No direct object — "arrived" doesn't act on anything.
✔ Intransitive

2. I bought a bicycle so I can go to school faster.
- Underlined: bought
- "Bought" has a direct object: a bicycle
✔ Transitive

3. The boy laughed so much that milk came out of his nose.
- Underlined: laughed
- "Laughed" does not take an object — it's just an action.
✔ Intransitive

4. He reads books to help him fall asleep.
- Underlined: reads
- "Reads" has a direct object: books
✔ Transitive

5. Jim is sleeping so don’t be so loud.
- Underlined: sleeping
- No object — "sleeping" is an action without receiving anything.
✔ Intransitive

6. When I lie down, I like to sleep on my back.
- Underlined: lie
- "Lie" here means "to recline" — no object.
✔ Intransitive

7. In order to catch up in class, she wrote an essay.
- Underlined: catch (as part of "catch up")
- "Catch up" is a phrasal verb. "Up" is part of the phrase, but "an essay" is the object of "wrote", not "catch".
- "Catch" is not taking a direct object here — it's part of a purpose clause.
✔ Intransitive (because "catch up" doesn't take a direct object)

8. The man sneezed so hard that he fell from his chair.
- Underlined: sneezed
- "Sneezed" is an action with no object.
✔ Intransitive

9. She sat down patiently waiting for her homework. (l)
- Underlined: sat
- "Sat" is intransitive — "down" is an adverbial phrase, not an object.
✔ Intransitive

10. For about an hour, they passed the ball back and forth.
- Underlined: passed
- "Passed" has a direct object: the ball
✔ Transitive

11. The family turned off the light and went to sleep.
- Underlined: turned
- "Turned off" is a phrasal verb. "The light" is the object. So "turned" takes an object.
✔ Transitive

12. We moved the tables next to each other.
- Underlined: moved
- "Moved" has a direct object: the tables
✔ Transitive

13. He puts on his winter boots because it’s so cold outside.
- Underlined: puts
- "Puts on" is a phrasal verb. "His winter boots" is the object.
✔ Transitive

14. They waited but nobody helped them find their room.
- Underlined: waited
- "Waited" has no object — it's just an action.
✔ Intransitive

15. The train stopped abruptly.
- Underlined: stopped
- No object — "stopped" describes a state change without acting on something.
✔ Intransitive

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✔ Final Answers:

| Sentence | Underlined Verb | Type |
|--------|------------------|--------------|
| 1 | arrived | Intransitive |
| 2 | bought | Transitive |
| 3 | laughed | Intransitive |
| 4 | reads | Transitive |
| 5 | sleeping | Intransitive |
| 6 | lie | Intransitive |
| 7 | catch | Intransitive |
| 8 | sneezed | Intransitive |
| 9 | sat | Intransitive |
| 10 | passed | Transitive |
| 11 | turned | Transitive |
| 12 | moved | Transitive |
| 13 | puts | Transitive |
| 14 | waited | Intransitive |
| 15 | stopped | Intransitive |

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📝 Explanation Summary:

- Transitive verbs require a direct object (something that receives the action). Look for nouns after the verb that answer “what?” or “whom?”
- Intransitive verbs do not take a direct object — the action stands alone.

Examples:
- *She read a book* → "read" is transitive (book = object)
- *He slept* → "slept" is intransitive (no object)

This exercise helps distinguish between actions that affect something (transitive) and those that don’t (intransitive).