(no subject)
STOP!
Grammar Time!
In Japanese today we covered transitivity pairs--Japanese verbs that come in counterparts for transitive and intransitive use. Unsurprising confusion resulted, because native English speakers more often than not don't understand transitivity versus intransitivity. General Hikkenstrope, She With a Grammar Fetish, will now explain it to you. I am going to use Reed-Kellogg sentence diagrams. Why? Mostly because I like them.
In English, a transitive verb is any verb that takes a direct object. Conversely, intransitive verbs don't take direct objects. This concept may seem straightforward, and most of the time it is. The subject of a sentence is the agent: it is the noun that is performing an action or existing in a certain state. The verb denotes the action taking place, or the subject's state of being. The direct object is the noun (object) being directly affected by the subject. When posed the question, "What did Tim send?" the direct object answers the "what" question.
Reed-Kellogg Diagrams
intransitive
transitive
TRANSITIVE: I received a postcard.
» I - subject: pronoun (personal subjective)
» received - verb: transitive (first person past, simple)
» a postcard - direct object: noun phrase
» a - determiner (indefinite article)
» postcard - noun (count, singular)
INTRANSITIVE: The baby slept.
» The baby - subject: noun phrase
» The - determiner (definite article)
» baby - noun (count, singular)
» slept - verb: intransitive (third person past, simple)
But sometimes it gets tricky. Some verbs are both transitive and intransitive in their dictionary forms; their transitivity in use depends on the context of the sentence.
[NOTE: There is a difference between "The door opened" and "The door was opened." The first is intransitive but active; the second is transitive but passive.]
TRANSITIVE: I opened the door.
» I - subject: pronoun (personal subjective)
» opened - verb: transitive (first person past, simple)
» the door - direct object: noun phrase
» the - determiner (definite article)
» door - noun (count, singular)
INTRANSITIVE: The door opened.
» The door - subject: noun phrase
» The - determiner (definite article)
» door - noun (count, singular)
» opened - verb: intransitive (third person past, simple)
And sometimes an intransitive verb is followed by a phrase that might look like a direct object, but isn't.
TRANSITIVE: I ate lunch.
» I - subject: pronoun (personal subjective)
» ate - verb: transitive (first person past, simple)
» lunch - direct object: noun (noncount)
INTRANSITIVE: I ate at noon.
» I - subject: pronoun (personal subjective)
» ate - verb: intransitive (first person past, simple)
» at noon - prepositional phrase: adverbial of time
» at - preposition (simple)
» noon - noun (count, singular)
That concludes your grammar lesson of the day.
Grammar Time!
In Japanese today we covered transitivity pairs--Japanese verbs that come in counterparts for transitive and intransitive use. Unsurprising confusion resulted, because native English speakers more often than not don't understand transitivity versus intransitivity. General Hikkenstrope, She With a Grammar Fetish, will now explain it to you. I am going to use Reed-Kellogg sentence diagrams. Why? Mostly because I like them.
In English, a transitive verb is any verb that takes a direct object. Conversely, intransitive verbs don't take direct objects. This concept may seem straightforward, and most of the time it is. The subject of a sentence is the agent: it is the noun that is performing an action or existing in a certain state. The verb denotes the action taking place, or the subject's state of being. The direct object is the noun (object) being directly affected by the subject. When posed the question, "What did Tim send?" the direct object answers the "what" question.
Reed-Kellogg Diagrams
intransitive
transitive
TRANSITIVE: I received a postcard.
» I - subject: pronoun (personal subjective)
» received - verb: transitive (first person past, simple)
» a postcard - direct object: noun phrase
» a - determiner (indefinite article)
» postcard - noun (count, singular)
INTRANSITIVE: The baby slept.
» The baby - subject: noun phrase
» The - determiner (definite article)
» baby - noun (count, singular)
» slept - verb: intransitive (third person past, simple)
But sometimes it gets tricky. Some verbs are both transitive and intransitive in their dictionary forms; their transitivity in use depends on the context of the sentence.
[NOTE: There is a difference between "The door opened" and "The door was opened." The first is intransitive but active; the second is transitive but passive.]
TRANSITIVE: I opened the door.
» I - subject: pronoun (personal subjective)
» opened - verb: transitive (first person past, simple)
» the door - direct object: noun phrase
» the - determiner (definite article)
» door - noun (count, singular)
INTRANSITIVE: The door opened.
» The door - subject: noun phrase
» The - determiner (definite article)
» door - noun (count, singular)
» opened - verb: intransitive (third person past, simple)
And sometimes an intransitive verb is followed by a phrase that might look like a direct object, but isn't.
TRANSITIVE: I ate lunch.
» I - subject: pronoun (personal subjective)
» ate - verb: transitive (first person past, simple)
» lunch - direct object: noun (noncount)
INTRANSITIVE: I ate at noon.
» I - subject: pronoun (personal subjective)
» ate - verb: intransitive (first person past, simple)
» at noon - prepositional phrase: adverbial of time
» at - preposition (simple)
» noon - noun (count, singular)
That concludes your grammar lesson of the day.