Lesson 123

Parts of the Sentence - Transitive and Intransitive Verbs

Transitive verbs are verbs that have subjects or objects that receive the action. They are either active voice or passive voice. Transitive active verbs are the verbs in sentences with a direct object. Example: The boy kicked the ball. The subject is the doer and the direct object is the receiver of the action. Transitive passive verbs have the subject receiving the action with the doer in a prepositional phrase or omitted in the sentence. Examples: The ball was kicked by the boy. The ball was kicked hard. The verb in the transitive passive voice always has is, am, are, was, were, be, being, or been as an auxiliary or helping verb.

Transitive active sentences can be changed to transitive passive sentences by making the direct object the subject and putting the subject either in a prepositional phrase or omitting it. Example: The daughter kissed her mother on the cheek. The mother was kissed on the cheek by her daughter. The mother was kissed on the cheek. (Mother is the receiver of the action in all three sentences, but in the last two sentences mother is the subject of the sentences.)

Instructions: Transform the following transitive passive sentences into transitive active sentences by taking the new subject from the prepositional phrase and making the old subject the direct object.

1. Consent was given by Rebecca.

2. The note was written by you.

3. Gunpowder was invented by the Chinese.

4. The prize was won by the last contestant.

5. The difficult role was played well by the understudy.

--For answers scroll down.

Answers:

1. Rebecca gave her consent.

2. You wrote the note.

3. The Chinese invented gunpowder.

4. The last contestant won the prize.

5. The understudy played well the difficult role.

(Your answers may vary somewhat from mine.)

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DAILY GRAMMAR - - - - by Mr. Johanson

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