Is "gauge" an intransitive verb?

Question

All my dictionaries tell me "gauge" is a transitive verb. So why does "with" follow "gauge" in the follow sentence?

I would say however, that it is difficult to gauge with some people until the later months when they are clearly showing a bump.
(From http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8730106.stm )

Thanks.

Alc24 · Accepted Answer

Gauge in the sentence above is intransitive as it doesn't need the direct object which is people, you can just say "that it is difficult to gauge until the later months when they are clearly showing a bump."

BillJ · Answer

pkrAll my dictionaries tell me "gauge" is a transitive verb. So why does "with" follow "gauge" in the follow sentence?
I would say however, that it is difficult to gauge with some people until the later months when they are clearly showing a bump.
(From http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8730106.stm )

Hi

It's best to think of transitivity as being uses of verbs. Some verbs are typically transitive, others are typically intransitive. When one cites a verb as one or the other, it is with the dominant use in mind. Otherwise one would be perpetually qualifying every statement. So, dictionaries will indeed give the verb 'gauge' as transitive because that's its dominant use (e.g. Can you gauge the distance?). But as you've discovered, it can also be used intransitively in sentences such as the one you quoted.

BillJ

Is "gauge" an intransitive verb?

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