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intransitive verbs

 

Intransitive verbs have the pattern N + V (noun + verb). The clause is complete without anything else:

Noun Phrase (Subject) Verb Phrase
John
Nothing
The baby		 smiled
happened
was sleeping

(John) (smiled).
(Nothing) (has happened).
(The baby) (was sleeping).

Exercise

Comments

Andreeagab21's picture
Submitted by Andreeagab21 on 13 February, 2012 - 11:51. Romania

in the first ques tion it is"you seem" so i have N+V,than it should be intransitive.
then why is it transitive?please explain

Stephen Jones's picture
Submitted by Stephen Jones on 5 March, 2012 - 08:45. United Kingdom (Great Britain)

Hello Andreeagab21,
 
Thanks for your question. Verbs like seem are used to link subjects to adjectives, and so you are quite correct - they are intransitive. We have corrected the error in the exercise. Well spotted!
However, we cannot simply say ​You seem., as it would leave the other person asking, ​seem what?
Regards,
 
Stephen Jones
The LearnEnglish Team

Mousomi Sikder Soma's picture
Submitted by Mousomi Sikder Soma on 28 December, 2011 - 13:58. Bangladesh

I make.
You seem.
The bus stopped.
How these senetences are Intransitive?there is no object after the verb.please explain.

TJ kArmA's picture
Submitted by TJ kArmA on 24 November, 2011 - 13:34. Nepal

i feel really awesome thank you british council for all this thing you gave to us but i hope you will be providing us more facalities then  thanks alot

helena11's picture
Submitted by helena11 on 16 September, 2011 - 07:22. Serbia

I am getting better and better

olimpia66's picture
Submitted by olimpia66 on 22 August, 2011 - 16:48. Italy

 
 
amazing, my score  was 100% , i  am  so  happy

mohamed elshaikh's picture
Submitted by mohamed elshaikh on 25 March, 2011 - 22:05. Saudi Arabia

 The second sentence meaning is not clear

Erik_CO's picture
Submitted by Erik_CO on 11 April, 2011 - 13:36. Poland

 Hi mohamed,
I assume you are referring to 'They disappeared.' (?)
This sentence means 'They are (or were) not there.' 
-Erik
The LearnEnglish Team

bytheway's picture
Submitted by bytheway on 16 March, 2011 - 15:14. Turkey

Seem is transitive? I think after seem we can use adjs not nouns, right? She seems nice, he seems happy, etc. I need to be clarified.

QandA's picture
Submitted by QandA on 30 July, 2011 - 13:43. India

Same for  "The soup tastes (bad/sour/awful)". Requesting clarity for these two questions.