French Note 38. Transitive Verbs / Intransitive verbs
1. Today I intend discussing a new topic that must be understood clearly if you wish to write French without mistakes. Many school and college students struggle for writing few correct sentences . I shall be posting a series of notes on transitive and intransitive verbs in French and their correct use.
2. Consider the following sentences.
a) Jean écrit une lettre.
John writes a letter.
b). Hélène parle à son amie.
Helen is talking to her friend.
c). Je dors.
I sleep.
The verb in the first sentence is " écrire " ( to write ) .
Ask a question ,
Jean écrit quoi ?
John writes what ?
The answer is " Une lettre " ( a letter )
The verb " écrire " acts on " une lettre"
We call " une lettre" ( a letter) as direct object of the verb " écrire"
Remember there is no preposition after the verb " écrit " and before " une lettre "
So we call " écrire " as a transitive verb when in a sentence , it takes a direct object.
A better way of saying is that the verb " écrire " is used transitively in this phrase.
More accurately , " écrire " is used transitively with a direct object in this sentence.
Remember , the verb structure is the easiest in cases of transitive verbs with direct object.
Call these verbs " verbe transitive direct " .
Have you understood ?
Now study the phrases given below. Identify the verbs and the direct object in each case.
1. Les terroristes ont tué douze journalistes.
The terrorists killed a dozen journalists.
2. J'achète une voiture.
I am purchasing a car.
3. Elle a sorti sa voiture du garage.
She took out her car from the garage.
4. Nous apprenons le français .
We are learning French.
5. On regarde la télévision .
We watch television.
6. Je bois du thé .
I drink tea.
7. Elle me donne un cadeau.
She gives me a gift.
8. Guru a envoyé un colis.
Guru sent a parcel.
9. Le professeur a expliqué ce problème très bien.
The teacher explained this problem very well.
10. J'oublie son nom toujours .
I forget his name always.
Have you identified the transitive verbs and the direct objects in each of the above sentences?
3. In para 2b), " Hélène parle à son ami " is the example given.
Helen is talking to her friend.
Now ask the question,
Hélène parle à qui ?
Helen is speaking to whom ?
The answer will be " son ami " ( her friend )
In this case " son ami " is an indirect object , because it follows a preposition and is not
placed immediately after the verb. Therefore , the object , " son ami" is an Indirect object
and the verb is used transitively with an indirect object . Remember that the preposition
need not be only " á" . You can come across other prepositions like " de, pour " after
the verb. Further a verb can have both direct and indirect objects. Examine the following
sentence .
Elle donne un cadeau à son fils.
She gives a gift to her son.
Elle donne quoi? Un cadeau
She gives what ? A gift
Elle donne un cadeau à qui ? À son fils
She gives a gift to whom ? To her son
Therefore the verb " donner" in the above example has been used transitively with a
direct and an indirect object .
Have you grasped the concept of transitive verbs in French ?
4. Now study the following examples
1. Je téléphone à mon ami.
I telephone my friend.
2. Je travaille les mathématiques .
I am doing maths
3. Ce professeur enseigne l'anglais aux adultes.
This teacher teaches English to adults.
4. Tous les jours, je joue au tennis.
Everyday , I play tennis.
5. Elle joue son avenir en collaborant avec ce voyou .
She is playing with her future by collaborating with that scoundrel.
6. J'apporte ce livre à mon ami.
I bring this book to my friend.
7. Elle a prêté de l'argent à son collègue.
She lent money to her colleague .
8. Aujourd'hui le président parle de terrorisme .
Today the president is speaking about terrorism .
9. Je ne veux pas servir ces ingrats.
I don't want to serve these ungrateful people.
10. Cette bibliothèque sert à tous les étudiants de cette ville.
This library is useful to the students of this city.
Can you find out how the verbs have been used in the above examples ? Can you pick out
the direct and indirect objects. The verb " jouer " in (4) tales an indirect object and in (5) a
direct object. Similarly " servir " in the last two examples. The verb, " travailler " has been used in 2) transitively with a direct object.Hope , I have made this topic clear to you.
5. In para 2 c) , " Je dors " is the example given. " I sleep"
There is no object at all in this sentence. Try using the verb " dormir " in various ways.
You can never write the sentence using an object. We can't ask " I sleep what ? Or I sleep
who ? You can sleep soundly. You can not sleep. He never sleeps. Got the point?
Therefore " dormir " is an intransitive verb .
Warning : there are certain archaic expressions in which " dormir " is used transitively .
" dormir un somme" " dormir un profond sommeil"
For example, verbs like venir, aller, devenir, naître , mourir etc are intransitive verbs.
Remember that the above verbs are conjugated with " être " . Note that certain verbs which
are conjugated with " être" are conjugated with " avoir " also. When such verbs are
conjugated with " avoir " , they take an object and in such a case we can say they are used
transitively . One example is " descendre " on which I posted few notes already .
That much for now.
In my next note, I shall give you tips on how to master the use of French verbs of all types.
Happy learning ! Any errors may please be brought to my notice. I shall stand corrected.
Sayee Jayaraman
10/01/2015
10/02/2015
1. Today I intend discussing a new topic that must be understood clearly if you wish to write French without mistakes. Many school and college students struggle for writing few correct sentences . I shall be posting a series of notes on transitive and intransitive verbs in French and their correct use.
2. Consider the following sentences.
a) Jean écrit une lettre.
John writes a letter.
b). Hélène parle à son amie.
Helen is talking to her friend.
c). Je dors.
I sleep.
The verb in the first sentence is " écrire " ( to write ) .
Ask a question ,
Jean écrit quoi ?
John writes what ?
The answer is " Une lettre " ( a letter )
The verb " écrire " acts on " une lettre"
We call " une lettre" ( a letter) as direct object of the verb " écrire"
Remember there is no preposition after the verb " écrit " and before " une lettre "
So we call " écrire " as a transitive verb when in a sentence , it takes a direct object.
A better way of saying is that the verb " écrire " is used transitively in this phrase.
More accurately , " écrire " is used transitively with a direct object in this sentence.
Remember , the verb structure is the easiest in cases of transitive verbs with direct object.
Call these verbs " verbe transitive direct " .
Have you understood ?
Now study the phrases given below. Identify the verbs and the direct object in each case.
1. Les terroristes ont tué douze journalistes.
The terrorists killed a dozen journalists.
2. J'achète une voiture.
I am purchasing a car.
3. Elle a sorti sa voiture du garage.
She took out her car from the garage.
4. Nous apprenons le français .
We are learning French.
5. On regarde la télévision .
We watch television.
6. Je bois du thé .
I drink tea.
7. Elle me donne un cadeau.
She gives me a gift.
8. Guru a envoyé un colis.
Guru sent a parcel.
9. Le professeur a expliqué ce problème très bien.
The teacher explained this problem very well.
10. J'oublie son nom toujours .
I forget his name always.
Have you identified the transitive verbs and the direct objects in each of the above sentences?
3. In para 2b), " Hélène parle à son ami " is the example given.
Helen is talking to her friend.
Now ask the question,
Hélène parle à qui ?
Helen is speaking to whom ?
The answer will be " son ami " ( her friend )
In this case " son ami " is an indirect object , because it follows a preposition and is not
placed immediately after the verb. Therefore , the object , " son ami" is an Indirect object
and the verb is used transitively with an indirect object . Remember that the preposition
need not be only " á" . You can come across other prepositions like " de, pour " after
the verb. Further a verb can have both direct and indirect objects. Examine the following
sentence .
Elle donne un cadeau à son fils.
She gives a gift to her son.
Elle donne quoi? Un cadeau
She gives what ? A gift
Elle donne un cadeau à qui ? À son fils
She gives a gift to whom ? To her son
Therefore the verb " donner" in the above example has been used transitively with a
direct and an indirect object .
Have you grasped the concept of transitive verbs in French ?
4. Now study the following examples
1. Je téléphone à mon ami.
I telephone my friend.
2. Je travaille les mathématiques .
I am doing maths
3. Ce professeur enseigne l'anglais aux adultes.
This teacher teaches English to adults.
4. Tous les jours, je joue au tennis.
Everyday , I play tennis.
5. Elle joue son avenir en collaborant avec ce voyou .
She is playing with her future by collaborating with that scoundrel.
6. J'apporte ce livre à mon ami.
I bring this book to my friend.
7. Elle a prêté de l'argent à son collègue.
She lent money to her colleague .
8. Aujourd'hui le président parle de terrorisme .
Today the president is speaking about terrorism .
9. Je ne veux pas servir ces ingrats.
I don't want to serve these ungrateful people.
10. Cette bibliothèque sert à tous les étudiants de cette ville.
This library is useful to the students of this city.
Can you find out how the verbs have been used in the above examples ? Can you pick out
the direct and indirect objects. The verb " jouer " in (4) tales an indirect object and in (5) a
direct object. Similarly " servir " in the last two examples. The verb, " travailler " has been used in 2) transitively with a direct object.Hope , I have made this topic clear to you.
5. In para 2 c) , " Je dors " is the example given. " I sleep"
There is no object at all in this sentence. Try using the verb " dormir " in various ways.
You can never write the sentence using an object. We can't ask " I sleep what ? Or I sleep
who ? You can sleep soundly. You can not sleep. He never sleeps. Got the point?
Therefore " dormir " is an intransitive verb .
Warning : there are certain archaic expressions in which " dormir " is used transitively .
" dormir un somme" " dormir un profond sommeil"
For example, verbs like venir, aller, devenir, naître , mourir etc are intransitive verbs.
Remember that the above verbs are conjugated with " être " . Note that certain verbs which
are conjugated with " être" are conjugated with " avoir " also. When such verbs are
conjugated with " avoir " , they take an object and in such a case we can say they are used
transitively . One example is " descendre " on which I posted few notes already .
That much for now.
In my next note, I shall give you tips on how to master the use of French verbs of all types.
Happy learning ! Any errors may please be brought to my notice. I shall stand corrected.
Sayee Jayaraman
10/01/2015
10/02/2015
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