Grammar worksheet helping students distinguish between transitive and intransitive verbs through 20 example sentences.

The image you've uploaded contains a grammar exercise focused on identifying transitive and intransitive verbs in sentences, along with naming the object of transitive verbs or the complement of intransitive verbs (especially those with incomplete predication).

Let me walk through the problem, solution, and explanation step by step.

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🔹 What Are Transitive and Intransitive Verbs?

- Transitive Verb: A verb that requires a direct object to complete its meaning.
Example: *She kicked the ball.* → "kicked" is transitive; "the ball" is the object.

- Intransitive Verb: A verb that does not take a direct object. It may be followed by a complement (e.g., subject complement, adverbial, etc.) but not a direct object.
Example: *He sleeps.* → "sleeps" is intransitive; no object.

- Complement: A word or phrase that completes the meaning of the predicate (often after linking verbs like *be*, *seem*, *become*, *appear*).
Example: *The tea is hot.* → "hot" is a complement describing the subject.

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🔹 The Task

For each sentence:
1. Identify whether the main verb is transitive or intransitive.
2. If transitive, name the direct object.
3. If intransitive, name the complement (if any), especially for verbs of incomplete predication (like linking verbs).

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✔ Solution with Explanation

Let’s go through each sentence and verify the answers provided:

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1. The sun rises in the east.
- Verb: *rises* → intransitive (no object)
- "in the east" is an adverbial of place.
- Answer: Intransitive verb – *rises*, complement – none ✔

2. The dog barks.
- *barks* → intransitive (no object)
- Answer: Intransitive verb – *barks*, complement – none ✔

3. He raised his hands.
- *raised* → transitive (requires object)
- Object: *his hands*
- Answer: Transitive verb – *raised*, object – *his hands* ✔

4. The information proved false.
- *proved* → intransitive (linking verb here)
- Complement: *false* (subject complement)
- Answer: Intransitive verb – *proved*, complement – *false* ✔

5. The child has fallen asleep.
- *has fallen* → intransitive (phrasal verb with adverbial)
- *asleep* is a complement (adverbial complement indicating state)
- Answer: Intransitive verb – *has fallen*, complement – *asleep* ✔

6. The donkey kept braying.
- *kept* → transitive? Let's analyze:
- "kept" can be transitive (*kept the door closed*) or intransitive (*kept braying* = continued doing something).
- Here, "braying" is a gerund used as object of *kept*. So, it's transitive.
- Object: *braying*
- However, some grammarians treat "kept braying" as intransitive with "braying" as a complement. But in standard analysis, *keep + V-ing* is often considered transitive with the gerund as object.
- But in this context, the answer says intransitive — which is incorrect.

✘ Correction: This should be transitive verb – kept, object – braying

But wait — the original answer says:
> Intransitive verb – kept, complement – braying

That's not accurate. *Braying* is not a complement; it's the object of *kept*.
So this is an error in the answer key.

✔ Correct: Transitive verb – kept, object – braying

7. The tea is hot.
- *is* → linking verb (intransitive)
- Complement: *hot* (subject complement)
- Answer: Intransitive verb – *is*, complement – *hot* ✔

8. The results are out.
- *are* → linking verb
- Complement: *out* (adverbial complement, but functions as complement)
- Answer: Intransitive verb – *are*, complement – *out* ✔

9. She called again and again.
- *called* → intransitive (no object)
- *again and again* is an adverbial phrase
- Answer: Intransitive verb – *called*, complement – none ✔

10. We are human beings.
- *are* → linking verb
- Complement: *human beings* (subject complement)
- Answer: Intransitive verb – *are*, complement – *human beings* ✔

11. The old man went mad.
- *went* → intransitive (linking verb, like "became")
- Complement: *mad* (subject complement)
- Answer: Intransitive verb – *went*, complement – *mad* ✔

12. She waited for the bus.
- *waited* → intransitive (does not take a direct object)
- *for the bus* is an adverbial phrase (prepositional phrase)
- No object → intransitive
- Answer: Intransitive verb – *waited*, complement – none ✔

13. He told a story.
- *told* → transitive
- Object: *a story*
- Answer: Transitive verb – *told*, object – *story* ✔

14. I saw him playing.
- *saw* → transitive
- Object: *him*
- *playing* is a participle modifying *him*
- Answer: Transitive verb – *saw*, object – *him* ✔

15. The sky is overcast.
- *is* → linking verb
- Complement: *overcast* (subject complement)
- Answer: Intransitive verb – *is*, object – overcast ✘
- Wait! It says "object – overcast", but *overcast* is not an object — it's a complement.
- So this is wrong.

✔ Correction: Intransitive verb – is, complement – overcast

16. Regular exercise made his muscles strong.
- *made* → transitive (causative verb)
- Object: *his muscles*
- *strong* is a complement (predicative complement) of the object
- So, *made* is transitive, object = *his muscles*
- Answer: Transitive verb – *made*, object – *his muscles* ✔

17. God called the light day.
- *called* → transitive
- Object: *the light*
- *day* is a complement of the object (naming it)
- So: Transitive verb – called, object – the light ✔

18. They chose him their leader.
- *chose* → transitive
- Object: *him*
- *their leader* is a complement of the object
- Answer: Transitive verb – *chose*, object – *him* ✔

19. I consider the man trustworthy.
- *consider* → transitive
- Object: *the man*
- *trustworthy* is a complement of the object
- Answer: Transitive verb – *consider*, object – *man* ✔

20. She called me a liar.
- *called* → transitive
- Object: *me*
- *a liar* is a complement of the object
- Answer: Transitive verb – *called*, object – *me* ✔

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🛠️ Summary of Corrections

| Sentence | Original Answer | Issue | Correct Answer |
|--------|------------------|-------|----------------|
| 6 | Intransitive – kept, complement – braying | Incorrect classification | Transitive – kept, object – braying |
| 15 | Intransitive – is, object – overcast | Mislabeling complement as object | Intransitive – is, complement – overcast |

All others are correct.

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✔ Final Answer Key (Corrected)

1. Intransitive – *rises*, complement – none
2. Intransitive – *barks*, complement – none
3. Transitive – *raised*, object – *his hands*
4. Intransitive – *proved*, complement – *false*
5. Intransitive – *has fallen*, complement – *asleep*
6. Transitive – *kept*, object – *braying*
7. Intransitive – *is*, complement – *hot*
8. Intransitive – *are*, complement – *out*
9. Intransitive – *called*, complement – none
10. Intransitive – *are*, complement – *human beings*
11. Intransitive – *went*, complement – *mad*
12. Intransitive – *waited*, complement – none
13. Transitive – *told*, object – *story*
14. Transitive – *saw*, object – *him*
15. Intransitive – *is*, complement – *overcast*
16. Transitive – *made*, object – *his muscles*
17. Transitive – *called*, object – *the light*
18. Transitive – *chose*, object – *him*
19. Transitive – *consider*, object – *man*
20. Transitive – *called*, object – *me*

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🔍 Conclusion

The task is correctly solved in most cases, but there are two errors:
- Sentence 6: *kept* is transitive, not intransitive.
- Sentence 15: *overcast* is a complement, not an object.

These corrections ensure grammatical accuracy.

Let me know if you'd like a printable version or further explanation on linking vs. action verbs!