Summary: This post is about how to make sentences with regard to verbs that are intransitive. You will learn that 'I wait you' is incorrect and understand the reason behind. In a sense, this post attempts to explain transitivity in terms of sentence structures, which makes English different from other languages, especially Asian ones.
Why is the sentence 'I wait you' incorrect? It is because ‘wait’ is an intransitive verb. What? What is an intransitive verb? According to most dictionaries, intransitive verbs are verbs that are not followed by something or someone.
For example, in the sentence 'Old habits die hard', ‘die’ is intransitive as it is not followed by something or someone. ‘Hard’ is not something or someone, right?
But the BIG question is: why? Why is an intransitive verb not to be followed by something? Or why is an transitive verb followed by something? In other words, why is there a difference between transitive verbs and intransitive verbs?
To answer this big question, we have to talk about sentence structures. Most learners of English have recited the sentence structure of 'SVO', in which S stands for subjects, V for verbs and O for objects.
Yet they do not know a secret in English, that there is a special relationship between ‘S’ and ‘O’. How special is it? The following example will tell you about the special relationship.
The special relationship is ‘Efficiency’ is much much much bigger than ‘a happy life’ (You may add more much if you like). In other words, ‘efficiency’ is the reason why ‘a happy life’ is possible.
To make it easier, read a Feel Good Tip:
However, if there is no such a relationship (between S & O), you have to use an intransitive verb with a preposition. An example will make this clear.
The relationship between ‘I’ and ‘you’ is not one of ‘subject’ and ‘object’. Or ‘I’ is not ‘bigger’ than ‘you’. To show such a relationship, for, a preposition, is needed. The following table may make you feel good about what you have been learning:
Pic source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/metrojp/84448961/in/photostream/
Why is the sentence 'I wait you' incorrect? It is because ‘wait’ is an intransitive verb. What? What is an intransitive verb? According to most dictionaries, intransitive verbs are verbs that are not followed by something or someone.
But the BIG question is: why? Why is an intransitive verb not to be followed by something? Or why is an transitive verb followed by something? In other words, why is there a difference between transitive verbs and intransitive verbs?
To answer this big question, we have to talk about sentence structures. Most learners of English have recited the sentence structure of 'SVO', in which S stands for subjects, V for verbs and O for objects.
S=subject V=verb O=object
Yet they do not know a secret in English, that there is a special relationship between ‘S’ and ‘O’. How special is it? The following example will tell you about the special relationship.
Efficiency makes a happy life.
‘Efficiency’ is the subject and ‘a happy life’ is the object.
The special relationship is ‘Efficiency’ is much much much bigger than ‘a happy life’ (You may add more much if you like). In other words, ‘efficiency’ is the reason why ‘a happy life’ is possible.
To make it easier, read a Feel Good Tip:
‘Efficiency’ > ‘a happy life’
S > O
However, if there is no such a relationship (between S & O), you have to use an intransitive verb with a preposition. An example will make this clear.
I’ll wait for you.
The relationship between ‘I’ and ‘you’ is not one of ‘subject’ and ‘object’. Or ‘I’ is not ‘bigger’ than ‘you’. To show such a relationship, for, a preposition, is needed. The following table may make you feel good about what you have been learning:
Relationship between
S & O
|
Choice of verbs
|
Choice of verbs
|
S > O
|
Transitive
| |
S is not > O
|
Intransitive
(+ prepositions)
|
Pic source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/metrojp/84448961/in/photostream/
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