Transitive and Intransitive Verbs Exercises: Understanding Action Words

Exercise 1: Identify Whether the Verbs are Transitive or Intransitive:

1. She paints landscapes.

2. The cat sleeps on the bed.

3. They bake cakes.

4. The baby laughs happily.

5. He buys groceries.

6. The sun rises in the east.

7. She tells a story.

8. The dog runs in the yard.

9. We clean the house every week.

10. The wind blows gently.

11. She writes poetry.

12. The children jump rope.

13. He reads novels.

14. The flowers bloom in spring.

15. They watch TV.

16. The train arrives at noon.

17. She calls her friend.

18. The water flows from the faucet.

19. He throws the ball.

20. The moon shines brightly.

21. They eat dinner together.

22. The birds chirp in the morning.

23. She paints her nails.

24. The car stops at the red light.

25. He sings a song.

Exercise 2: Fill in the Blanks with Transitive Verbs

1. She ______ (prepare) a delicious meal for her family.

2. They ______ (build) a new playground in the park.

3. He ______ (write) a letter to his friend.

4. We ______ (read) the latest novel by our favourite author.

5. The teacher ______ (explain) the complex topic to the students.

6. She ______ (paint) a beautiful landscape on the canvas.

7. The chef ______ (cook) a gourmet dinner for the guests.

8. They ______ (make) a decision about the upcoming project.

9. He ______ (send) an invitation to the party.

10. She ______ (describe) the event in detail.

11. They ______ (play) a challenging game together.

12. He ______ (fix) the broken chair in the living room.

13. The artist ______ (create) a stunning sculpture.

14. She ______ (deliver) the news to her colleagues.

15. They ______ (organize) a surprise birthday party.

16. He ______ (catch) the ball during the game.

17. The company ______ (launch) a new product this week.

18. She ______ (offer) assistance to the new employees.

19. They ______ (invite) their friends over for dinner.

20. He ______ (celebrate) his achievements with a big party.

21. She ______ (design) a new logo for the business.

22. The kids ______ (make) a mess while playing.

23. He ______ (discuss) the project with his team.

24. She ______ (repair) the old watch for her grandfather.

25. They ______ (invite) the neighbours to the barbecue.

Exercise 3: Fill in the Blanks with Intransitive Verbs

The sun ______ (rise) early in the morning.

The baby ______ (cry) loudly.

She ______ (sleep) peacefully throughout the night.

The wind ______ (blow) gently through the trees.

They ______ (laugh) at the funny joke.

The children ______ (play) in the backyard.

The clock ______ (tick) loudly.

The car ______ (stop) suddenly at the red light.

The flowers ______ (bloom) in spring.

The dog ______ (bark) at the passing cars.

The river ______ (flow) swiftly after the rain.

He ______ (run) every morning in the park.

The birds ______ (sing) early in the morning.

The moon ______ (shine) brightly at night.

The students ______ (study) hard for their exams.

The ice ______ (melt) in the sun.

The crowd ______ (cheer) during the game.

The cat ______ (purr) when petted.

The plane ______ (fly) high in the sky.

The leaves ______ (fall) from the trees in autumn.

The light ______ (flicker) in the dark room.

The engine ______ (hum) softly.

The waves ______ (crash) against the shore.

The actors ______ (perform) beautifully on stage.

The snow ______ (settle) on the ground.

Exercise 4: Fill in the Blanks with the Correct Verb Form:

1. She ______ (write) a book. (Transitive)

2. The dog ______ (bark) at strangers. (Intransitive)

3. He ______ (read) the newspaper every day. (Transitive)

4. The children ______ (play) in the park. (Intransitive)

5. We ______ (enjoy) the party last night. (Transitive)

6. The baby ______ (cry) when hungry. (Intransitive)

7. She ______ (draw) a picture. (Transitive)

8. The sun ______ (set) in the evening. (Intransitive)

9. He ______ (make) breakfast for everyone. (Transitive)

10. The train ______ (depart) on time. (Intransitive)

11. They ______ (watch) a movie on TV. (Transitive)

12. The wind ______ (howl) through the trees. (Intransitive)

13. She ______ (teach) English at school. (Transitive)

14. The river ______ (flow) into the sea. (Intransitive)

15. He ______ (write) emails to his colleagues. (Transitive)

16. The clock ______ (tick) loudly. (Intransitive)

17. They ______ (plant) flowers in the garden. (Transitive)

18. The stars ______ (twinkle) at night. (Intransitive)

19. She ______ (cook) dinner for her family. (Transitive)

20. The dog ______ (chase) the cat. (Transitive)

21. He ______ (talk) to his friend on the phone. (Transitive)

22. The baby ______ (giggle) with joy. (Intransitive)

23. She ______ (fix) the broken chair. (Transitive)

24. The sun ______ (shine) all day. (Intransitive)

25. He ______ (deliver) the mail. (Transitive)

Exercise 5: Rewrite the Following Sentences by Changing the Transitive Verb to an Intransitive Form:

1. She reads a book every week. (Transitive)

2. They play chess on weekends. (Transitive)

3. He cooked dinner last night. (Transitive)

4. The teacher explains the lesson. (Transitive)

5. The chef prepared a meal. (Transitive)

6. She draws portraits. (Transitive)

7. He writes novels. (Transitive)

8. They built a house. (Transitive)

9. She paints her room. (Transitive)

10. The gardener waters the plants. (Transitive)

11. He sings songs at the concert. (Transitive)

12. The kids chased each other. (Transitive)

13. She teaches mathematics. (Transitive)

14. He reads the newspaper. (Transitive)

15. They enjoy the meal. (Transitive)

16. She bakes cookies. (Transitive)

17. He drives a car. (Transitive)

18. The team practices football. (Transitive)

19. She fills the bottle with water. (Transitive)

20. He throws the ball. (Transitive)

21. The cat catches mice. (Transitive)

22. She answers the phone. (Transitive)

23. The student completes the assignment. (Transitive)

24. He paints the house. (Transitive)

25. They find a solution. (Transitive)

Answers:

1. Identify Whether the Verbs Are Transitive or Intransitive:

1. paints - Transitive

2. sleeps - Intransitive

3. bake - Transitive

4. laughs - Intransitive

5. buys - Transitive

6. rises - Intransitive

7. tells - Transitive

8. runs - Intransitive

9. clean - Transitive

10. blows - Intransitive

11. writes - Transitive

12. jump - Intransitive

13. reads - Transitive

14. bloom - Intransitive

15. watch - Transitive

16. arrives - Intransitive

17. calls - Transitive

18. flows - Intransitive

19. throws - Transitive

20. shines - Intransitive

21. eat - Transitive

22. chirp - Intransitive

23. paints - Transitive

24. stops - Intransitive

25. sings - Transitive

2. Fill in the blanks with transitive verbs

1. She prepared a delicious meal for her family.

2. They built a new playground in the park.

3. He wrote a letter to his friend.

4. We read the latest novel by our favourite author.

5. The teacher explained the complex topic to the students.

6. She painted a beautiful landscape on the canvas.

7. The chef cooked a gourmet dinner for the guests.

8. They made a decision about the upcoming project.

9. He sent an invitation to the party.

10. She described the event in detail.

11. They played a challenging game together.

12. He fixed the broken chair in the living room.

13. The artist created a stunning sculpture.

14. She delivered the news to her colleagues.

15. They organized a surprise birthday party.

16. He caught the ball during the game.

17. The company launched a new product this week.

18. She offered assistance to the new employees.

19. They invited their friends over for dinner.

20. He celebrated his achievements with a big party.

21. She designed a new logo for the business.

22. The kids made a mess while playing.

23. He discussed the project with his team.

24. She repaired the old watch for her grandfather.

25. They invited the neighbours to the barbecue.

3. Fill in the blanks with Intransitive verbs

1. The sun rises early in the morning.

2. The baby cries loudly.

3. She sleeps peacefully throughout the night.

4. The wind blows gently through the trees.

5. They laugh at the funny joke.

6. The children play in the backyard.

7. The clock ticks loudly.

8. The car stops suddenly at the red light.

9. The flowers bloom in spring.

10. The dog barks at the passing cars.

11. The river flows swiftly after the rain.

12. He runs every morning in the park.

13. The birds sing early in the morning.

14. The moon shines brightly at night.

15. The students study hard for their exams.

16. The ice melts in the sun.

17. The crowd cheers during the game.

18. The cat purrs when petted.

19. The plane flies high in the sky.

20. The leaves fall from the trees in autumn.

21. The light flickers in the dark room.

22. The engine hums softly.

23. The waves crash against the shore.

24. The actors perform beautifully on stage.

25. The snow settles on the ground.

4. Fill in the Blanks with the Correct Verb Form:

1. She writes a book. (Transitive)

2. The dog barks at strangers. (Intransitive)

3. He reads the newspaper every day. (Transitive)

4. The children play in the park. (Intransitive)

5. We enjoy the party last night. (Transitive)

6. The baby cries when hungry. (Intransitive)

7. She draws a picture. (Transitive)

8. The sun sets in the evening. (Intransitive)

9. He makes breakfast for everyone. (Transitive)

10. The train departs on time. (Intransitive)

11. They watch a movie on TV. (Transitive)

12. The wind howls through the trees. (Intransitive)

13. She teaches English at school. (Transitive)

14. The river flows into the sea. (Intransitive)

15. He writes emails to his colleagues. (Transitive)

16. The clock ticks loudly. (Intransitive)

17. They plant flowers in the garden. (Transitive)

18. The stars twinkle at night. (Intransitive)

19. She cooks dinner for her family. (Transitive)

20. The dog chases the cat. (Transitive)

21. He talks to his friend on the phone. (Transitive)

22. The baby giggles with joy. (Intransitive)

23. She fixes the broken chair. (Transitive)

24. The sun shines all day. (Intransitive)

25. He delivers the mail. (Transitive)

5. Rewrite the Following Sentences by Changing the Transitive Verb to an Intransitive Form or Vice Versa:

1. She reads a book every week. (Transitive)

• She reads in her free time. (Intransitive)

2. They play chess on weekends. (Transitive)

• They play outside every afternoon. (Intransitive)

3. He cooked dinner last night. (Transitive)

• He cooked for a long time. (Intransitive)

4. The teacher explains the lesson. (Transitive)

• The teacher explains clearly. (Intransitive)

5. The chef prepared a meal. (Transitive)

• The chef prepared for the event. (Intransitive)

6. She draws portraits. (Transitive)

• She draws well. (Intransitive)

7. He writes novels. (Transitive)

• He writes every day. (Intransitive)

8. They built a house. (Transitive)

• They built for hours. (Intransitive)

9. She paints her room. (Transitive)

• She paints beautifully. (Intransitive)

10. The gardener waters the plants. (Transitive)

• The gardener waters in the morning. (Intransitive)

11. He sings songs at the concert. (Transitive)

• He sings well. (Intransitive)

12. The kids chased each other. (Transitive)

• The kids chased in the park. (Intransitive)

13. She teaches mathematics. (Transitive)

• She teaches at the school. (Intransitive)

14. He reads the newspaper. (Transitive)

• He reads quietly. (Intransitive)

15. They enjoy the meal. (Transitive)

• They enjoy together. (Intransitive)

16. She bakes cookies. (Transitive)

• She bakes frequently. (Intransitive)

17. He drives a car. (Transitive)

• He drives carefully. (Intransitive)

18. The team practices football. (Transitive)

• The team practices regularly. (Intransitive)

19. She fills the bottle with water. (Transitive)

• She fills quickly. (Intransitive)

20. He throws the ball. (Transitive)

• He throws expertly. (Intransitive)

21. The cat catches mice. (Transitive)

• The cat catches quickly. (Intransitive)

22. She answers the phone. (Transitive)

• She answers promptly. (Intransitive)

23. The student completes the assignment. (Transitive)

• The student completes on time. (Intransitive)

24. He paints the house. (Transitive)

• He paints occasionally. (Intransitive)

25. They find a solution. (Transitive)

• They find in the library. (Intransitive)

Test your Knowledge of Transitive and Intransitive Verbs

Task 1: Identify the Verb Type

For each sentence, identify whether the highlighted verb is transitive or intransitive.

1. She bakes cookies every weekend.

2. The children play in the park after school.

3. He reads the newspaper daily.

4. The sun rises in the east.

5. They clean the house every Saturday.

6. The dog barks at strangers.

7. She writes letters to her friends.

8. The river flows into the sea.

9. He catches the train to work.

10. The stars shine brightly at night.

Task 2: Fill in the Blanks with the Correct Verb Form

Choose the correct verb form from the list provided to complete each sentence. Some verbs will be transitive, and others will be intransitive.

List of verbs: (eat, swim, fix, laugh, send, run)

1. She ______ (eat) a delicious meal.

2. They ______ (swim) in the lake during summer.

3. He ______ (fix) the broken chair.

4. The kids ______ (laugh) at the funny joke.

5. She ______ (send) an email to her boss.

6. The baby ______ (cry) loudly.

7. He ______ (run) in the marathon last weekend.

8. We ______ (build) a sandcastle on the beach.

9. The cat ______ (purr) when petted.

10. She ______ (talk) to her friend on the phone.

Task 3: Convert Sentences

Convert each transitive verb sentence into an intransitive verb sentence, or vice versa, as indicated.

1. They watch movies on weekends. (Convert to intransitive)

2. The baby sleeps soundly through the night. (Convert to transitive)

3. She writes a book. (Convert to intransitive)

4. The dog catches the ball. (Convert to intransitive)

5. He paints the house. (Convert to intransitive)

6. The teacher explains the lesson. (Convert to intransitive)

7. The sun sets in the evening. (Convert to transitive)

8. They invite friends to the party. (Convert to intransitive)

9. The cat chases mice. (Convert to intransitive)

10. He delivers packages. (Convert to intransitive)

Task 4: Choose the Correct Verb Form

Choose whether the blank should be filled with a transitive or intransitive verb, and write the appropriate verb form in the sentence.

1. The artist ______ (create) a new sculpture. (Transitive)

2. The baby ______ (smile) happily. (Intransitive)

3. They ______ (play) chess every Friday. (Transitive)

4. The wind ______ (howl) through the trees. (Intransitive)

5. She ______ (describe) the scene vividly. (Transitive)

6. The train ______ (arrive) on time. (Intransitive)

7. He ______ (send) a letter to his friend. (Transitive)

8. The leaves ______ (rustle) in the breeze. (Intransitive)

9. She ______ (cook) dinner for the family. (Transitive)

10. The boat ______ (float) on the water. (Intransitive)

Task 5: Create Your Own Sentences

Write two sentences for each type of verb. Ensure that one sentence uses a transitive verb and the other uses an intransitive verb.

1. Transitive Verb Sentences:

• a)

• b)

2. Intransitive Verb Sentences:

• a)

• b)

Find Out if you Got them All Right from the Answers Below:

1. Identify the Verb Type

1. She bakes cookies every weekend. (Transitive)

2. The children play in the park after school. (Intransitive)

3. He reads the newspaper daily. (Transitive)

4. The sun rises in the east. (Intransitive)

5. They clean the house every Saturday. (Transitive)

6. The dog barks at strangers. (Intransitive)

7. She writes letters to her friends. (Transitive)

8. The river flows into the sea. (Intransitive)

9. He catches the train to work. (Transitive)

10. The stars shine brightly at night. (Intransitive)

2. Fill in the Blanks with the Correct Verb Form

1. She eats a delicious meal. (Transitive)

2. They swim in the lake during summer. (Intransitive)

3. He fixed the broken chair. (Transitive)

4. The kids laughed at the funny joke. (Intransitive)

5. She sent an email to her boss. (Transitive)

6. The baby cries loudly. (Intransitive)

7. He ran in the marathon last weekend. (Intransitive)

8. We built a sandcastle on the beach. (Transitive)

9. The cat purred when petted. (Intransitive)

10. She talked to her friend on the phone. (Transitive)

3. Convert Sentences

1. They watch movies on weekends. (Convert to intransitive: They watch often.)

2. The baby sleeps soundly through the night. (Convert to transitive: The baby sleeps in the crib.)

3. She writes a book. (Convert to intransitive: She writes every day.)

4. The dog catches the ball. (Convert to intransitive: The dog catches quickly.)

5. He paints the house. (Convert to intransitive: He paints well.)

6. The teacher explains the lesson. (Convert to intransitive: The teacher explains clearly.)

7. The sun sets in the evening. (Convert to transitive: The sun sets the sky ablaze.)

8. They invite friends to the party. (Convert to intransitive: They invite often.)

9. The cat chases mice. (Convert to intransitive: The cat chases happily.)

10. He delivers packages. (Convert to intransitive: He delivers regularly.)

4. Choose the Correct Verb Form

1. The artist creates a new sculpture. (Transitive)

2. The baby smiles happily. (Intransitive)

3. They play chess every Friday. (Transitive)

4. The wind howls through the trees. (Intransitive)

5. She describes the scene vividly. (Transitive)

6. The train arrives on time. (Intransitive)

7. He sends a letter to his friend. (Transitive)

8. The leaves rustle in the breeze. (Intransitive)

9. She cooks dinner for the family. (Transitive)

10. The boat floats on the water. (Intransitive)

5. Create Your Own Sentences

Transitive Verb Sentences:

1. He reads a book every night.

2. She paints beautiful portraits.

Intransitive Verb Sentences:

1. The dog barks loudly in the yard.

2. The sun sets behind the mountains.

Takeaways from this Page

Working through exercises on transitive and intransitive verbs reveals important distinctions between these types of verbs. Transitive verbs require a direct object to complete their meaning, such as in “She writes a letter,” where “letter” is the direct object. In contrast, intransitive verbs do not need a direct object and stand alone, like in “The baby cries loudly.” Identifying these verbs helps in understanding sentence structure and clarity. By practising with different sentences and converting verbs, you gain a clearer grasp of how verbs function in various contexts, enhancing overall writing and comprehension skills.