Sadruddin Ahmed
Lesson 14
More about Transitive Verbs
In lesson 13 we explained and illustrated the use of transitive verbs. Since most verbs in English are transitive, we have classified these verbs into a number of groups. In this lesson we illustrate transitive verbs which require adjuncts after their objects. The adjuncts are prepositional phrases beginning with a particular preposition after their object. Here is a list of verbs which take particular preposition:
regard as: Everybody regards Socrates as a very wise man.
view as : Many people view the political situation in the country as alarming.
mistake for: I mistook you for one of my students.
prevent from: The police prevented the mob from causing violence.
deprive of: No one should deprive the people of their legal rights.
remind of : May I remind you of your duties?
rob of: The criminals robbed him of his wallet.
attribute to: He attributed his failure to carelessness.
compare to: The poet compared his beloved to a rose.
confine to: The police confined the prisoners to their cells.
return to: Return the book to the library in a week’s time.
subject to: The police subjected him to interrogation while he was on remand.
pelt with: The boys pelted the frogs with stones.
With the following verbs, there is a choice of prepositions:
divide by: 10 divided by 5 equals 2.
divide into Divide the essay into a number of paragraphs.
incorporate in/into: We will incorporate your suggestions in/into the final recommendation.
base on/upon: The report is based on/upon solid evidence.
lavish on/upon: She lavishes money on/upon her grandchildren.
present to: He presented a camera to her niece on her birthday.
present with: They presented the child with a lot of toys.
supply to: The NGOs supplied food and medicine to the flood victims.
supply with: They supplied the victims with relief materials.
Other transitive verbs are typically followed by adjuncts of place:
place: She placed the baby on her lap.
put: She put the cup of tea on the table.
position: They positioned the table near the window.
escort: He escorted her to the party.
set: Set the bed by the window.
store: Store the food in the kitchen.
lay: He laid the book on the bed.
Note that even verbs which are almost always followed by direct objects can occasionally be used intransitively. This is possible in very restricted contexts. For example, if you are contrasting two actions, it is not necessary say what else is involved:
Markets are places where people buy and sell.
Some people build, while others destroy.
There are people who give, while others take.
If you list different verbs for emphasis, you do not need to name the object:
They are determined to argue, defy and threaten.
He wants to forgive and forget.
Verbs which describe feelings and attitudes can sometimes be used without an object:
She is anxious to help.
He would like to please.
Transitive verbs with reflexive pronoun as object:
If an action involves two different people but you want to talk about a case where the same person is involved twice, you can use a reflexive pronoun as the object of the verb. For example, we usually blame someone when something goes wrong, but you can say ‘I blame myself for the accident’ if you are the only person involved in the blaming. A few verbs are typically used with reflexive pronouns:
She blamed herself for getting a poor grade.
May I introduce myself to you?
We enjoyed ourselves at the party.
Don’t distress yourself for my sake.
Elizabeth prided herself on her intelligence.
Don’t deceive yourself
He prefers to shave himself before breakfast.
You are old enough to behave yourself.
You must try to adapt yourself to any situation.
He is capable of expressing himself effectively.
Don’t strain yourself by over exercise.
We must ask ourselves some questions.
You can do the job very well if you exert yourself.
He availed himself of the opportunity that came his way.
I have reconciled myself to the idea of living in Dhaka.
He seated himself on the sofa.
You should adjust yourself to the changed circumstances.
He applied himself to learning how Islamic banking works.
He disengaged himself from the tangle he was involved in.
I find myself unable to recommend the article for publication.
Exercise
1. Complete the following sentences with adjuncts after the objects:
a. You object to the decision of the enquiry committee, but what do you
base your objection —–?
b. I regard the situation on the University campus—–explosive.
c. The book is divided——six chapters.
d. I will incorporate your suggestions——the next edition of the book.
e. Would you please present a copy of your book—–me?
2 Make your own sentences with the following verbs:
apply enjoy put place
lay set pelt subject
remind compare return
3.Correct the following sentences:
a. The company deprived the employees their legal dues.
b. The police prevented the crowd to enter the arena.
c. He lavished his wife a lot of jewellery.
d. They entrusted the nurse the task of looking after their sick father.
e. I reminded him his responsibility.