transitive/intransitive verb?

Question

Hello, I'm an 8th grader, second year in canada from korea, and there is this thing that's been bothering me since last year. When I look up in wikipedia and such other sources, they say that a transitive verb is a verb that requires both a direct subject and one or more objects. Does that mean a sentense with a transitive verb will not make sense if it didn't have a subject and an object?

"Harry sees Adam." is one of the examples given in wikipedia, and why can't "Harry sees." be a complete sentense? I'm sure there is something catastrophically wrong with the way I'm thinking, and I would like very much to end it ASAP.

I mean, it's not like I'm going to run into this in an english class anytime soon(I don't think), but this first came up last year when I was searching up words on dictionary.com, and kept doing so a several different times ever since. Can anyone please help?

BarbaraPA · Accepted Answer

A verb that exists ONLY as a transitive verb will not make sense without the object. You are correct.

Harry set the keys on the table. vs. Harry set. The second one does not make snese. Harry sees the cat makes sense. Harry sees does not, unless you are describing some bizarre situation in which you mean that Harry is able to experience the sense of sight. (Maybe he's had an operation to restore his eyesight?)

Many verbs can have more than one sense.

For example, I opened the window. This is pretty clear. Usually, if I said "I opened" you'd be thining "What did you open? Where's the object?"

But let's say you and a coworker share a job at a store. On most days, you are responsible for opening up the shop and your friend is responsible for for closing up at the end of the night. In that case, your friend might say "Can I open tomorrow so you can close? There's a conert I'd like to go to." This is a very specific use of "to open" and "to close" that does not require the object. You know it means going through the various actions that are needed to open up the store and close it down for the night.

transitive/intransitive verb?

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