How can I identify transitive and intransitive verbs?

Verbs can be either transitive or intransitive, depending on whether they take a direct object (i.e., a noun or pronoun) to indicate the person or thing acted upon.

  • Transitive verbs take a direct object (e.g., “I ordered pizza”).
  • Intransitive verbs do not take a direct object (e.g., “My dog is sleeping”).

You can identify transitive and intransitive verbs by determining whether anything is receiving the action of the verb.