Transitivity

Question

I need help finding the transitivity of these phrases:May have hatedMay have thoughtWere adoptedWasWould giveIsHas been managingHad BeenHadProvedRemainsConsidersBig thanks for any help!

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

ejay8400transitivity

If they can take an object, they're transitive.

... may have hated (the boss) ... Transitive
...
... remains. (You can't "remain a thing" or "remain a person". You just "remain (where you are)". Intransitive.

CJ

Ejay8400 · Answer

Big thanks for a quick reply!

So let me see if i got this correct:

Transitive
Transitive
Transitive
Intransitive
Transitive
Intransitive
Transitive
Transitive
Transitive
Transitive
Intransitive
Intransitive

Looks correct or am i way off?

CalifJim · Answer

Please realize that when we answer, all we see is what was in your most recent post. I'm looking at:
Transitive
Transitive
Transitive
Intransitive
Transitive
Intransitive
Transitive
Transitive
Transitive
Transitive
Intransitive
Intransitive

How am I supposed to make sense of that when I can't see your original post when I'm writing in the reply box?

Here's how you're supposed to do it:

May have hated - Transitive
May have thought - Transitive
Were adopted - Transitive
Was - Intransitive
Would give - Transitive
Is - Intransitive
Has been managing - Transitive
Had Been - Transitive
Had - Transitive
Proved -Transitive
Remains - Intransitive
Considers - Intransitive

OK. Now after some time fussing with it, trying to bring two of your posts together, I can see what you're asking. Here are my comments:

May have hated - Transitive - OK
May have thought - Transitive - OK
Were adopted - Transitive - NO. "were adopted a child?" "were adopted the new rules?"
Was - Intransitive - OK
Would give - Transitive - OK
Is - Intransitive - OK
Has been managing - Transitive - OK
Had Been - Transitive - OK
Had - Transitive - OK
Proved -Transitive - OK
Remains - Intransitive - OK
Considers - Intransitive - NO "He considers the question carefully."
___________

CJ

Fivejedjon · Answer

CalifJim Here are my comments:

I disagree on some.

Had been is as intransitive as is and was.

... were adopted contains a transitive verb. Only transitive verbs can have a passive form. They adopted the children - the children were adopted (by them)

... has been managing could be transitive or intransitive, depending on the context.

CalifJim · Answer

fivejedjonHad been is as intransitive as is and was.

Right. I missed that one.

fivejedjon... were adopted contains a transitive verb.

That doesn't matter the way I read the question. It's the transitivity of the whole phrase as written.

fivejedjon... has been managing could be transitive or intransitive, depending on the context.

I took anything that could be transitive as "transitive", since we were asked to pick one or the other as the answer.

CJ

Transitivity

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