Verbs with Prepositions Olga Lucia Osorio Colegio Montessori
Introduction Read the following sentences: • The batter hit the ball. • The bird sang. What is the difference between the two verbs in the above sentences?
Transitive Verbs Transitive verbs are action verbs that have an object to receive that action. The batter hit the ball. In the first sentence above, the direct object ball received the action of the verb hit.
Transitive Verbs Examples: I baked some cookies.
The magician tricked the audience. Grandma stitched a quilt. I rode the bicycle.
I moved the chair. All these verbs require an object.
Intransitive Verbs Intransitive verbs do not require an object receiving the action. Notice there are no words after the verb sang. • The bird sang.
Intransitive Verbs Examples: I laughed.
We insist. Everybody listens. They smiled.
The book fell The sun set. Do the verbs above require an object?
Verbs with Prepositions 1. Many verbs that are used without an object are normally followed by a prepositional phrase.
Some verbs take a particular preposition: Examples:
Verbs with Prepositions 2. With other verbs that are used without an object, the choice of a different preposition may alter the meaning of the clause:
Examples:
Verbs with Prepositions 3. With verbs that are used without an object, different prepositions are used to introduce different types of information:
Prepositions • “about” indicates the subject matter.
think
know
speak
hear explain
explain
dream
do
care
talk
write
“for� indicates purpose or reason. apologize
apply
ask
leave
look
search
wait
“to� the listener or reader. complain write explain listen say speak talk
“on� indicates confidence or certainty. congratulate count depend rely plan
“of� indicates facts of information. think consist care know hear
• “with” indicates someone whose opinion is the same or different.
agree
argue
disagree
“into� indicates the object involved in a collision.
bump crash run
drive fly
“at� indicates direction. glance
laugh
shoot
look
point
smile
Practice:
• The student listened ____ me and then told me ___ her problem.
• We agree ____ you that we should wait ___ them.