Transitive and intransitive worksheet worksheet - Free Printable

Let's solve this step-by-step by identifying whether each underlined verb is transitive or intransitive.

---

🔹 Definitions:

- Transitive Verb: A verb that requires a direct object (something or someone receiving the action).
- Example: *She bought a bicycle.* → "bought" has a direct object ("a bicycle").
- Intransitive Verb: A verb that does not take a direct object.
- Example: *He laughed.* → "laughed" does not act on anything; no direct object.

---

Now, let’s analyze each sentence:

---

1. When he arrived, nobody was there to greet him.
- Underlined: arrived
- Does "arrived" have a direct object? No.
- It just describes an action without affecting something directly.
✔ 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" doesn’t act on anything — no object.
✔ 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
- "Sleeping" is an intransitive verb — it doesn't act on anything.
✔ Intransitive

6. When I lie down, I like to sleep on my back.
- Underlined: lie
- "Lie" here means to recline — it does not take a direct object.
✔ Intransitive

7. In order to catch up in class, she wrote an essay.
- Underlined: catch
- "Catch up" is a phrasal verb, but "catch" is part of a verb phrase with "up" as adverbial particle. However, “catch” is transitive only if followed by a noun (e.g., *catch the ball*). Here, "catch up" is idiomatic and intransitive.
- "She caught up" → no direct object.
✔ Intransitive

8. The man sneezed so hard that he fell from his chair.
- Underlined: sneezed
- "Sneezed" does not take a direct object.
✔ Intransitive

9. She sat down patiently waiting for her homework. (l)
- Underlined: sat
- "Sat" is the past tense of "sit", which is intransitive. It doesn't take a direct 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. But "turn" is transitive when it has an object: the light
✔ 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. "Put" is transitive when it takes an object: his winter boots
✔ Transitive

14. They waited but nobody helped them find their room.
- Underlined: waited
- "Waited" does not have a direct object. It's just a state of waiting.
✔ Intransitive

15. The train stopped abruptly.
- Underlined: stopped
- "Stopped" is intransitive — no object affected by stopping.
✔ Intransitive

---

✔ 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 |

---

📝 Summary:

- Transitive Verbs: 2, 4, 10, 11, 12, 13
- Intransitive Verbs: 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15

Let me know if you'd like this formatted as a printable answer sheet!