Harvey's Elementary Grammar and Composition · Lesson 16 · Part 1: Part I: The elementary course
14. Transitive, intransitive and copulative verbs
Goal: Your child can tell whether a verb needs an object, and can write sentences with transitive, intransitive and copulative verbs.
You'll need
- The book, open to this lesson
- Paper and a pencil (or a slate)
What's in the book
Lesson 16 defines the objective element and the three classes of verbs, with examples like "Boys study grammar," and asks for sentences of each kind.
The lesson, step by step
Review
Ask your child for three sentences of just a subject and a verb, like "Dogs bark."
Something is missing
SayColumbus discovered.
Ask: Discovered what? Then: Columbus discovered America.
Read:
An Objective Element is a word, or group of words, which completes the meaning of a verb.
Two classes
Read:
A Transitive Verb requires the addition of an object to complete its meaning.
An Intransitive Verb does not require the addition of an object to complete its meaning.
The book's examples: "Boys study grammar" and "Clarence walks."
The third class
Read:
A Copulative Verb is used to join a predicate to a subject, and to make an assertion.
The book's example is "Lambs are playful." Remind your child that the copula from Lesson 11 is always a verb.
Oral practice
Say verbs and let your child say T, I or C: eats, sleeps, is, throws, laughs, was, carries.
Write sentences
The book asks for seven sentences of each kind. Write three of each today, following the models:
John struck James.
Houses stand.
For the copulative ones, use is, are, was or were.
Use it today
In today's reading, find one verb with an object and one without.
Tip
Some verbs can be either kind: "She sings" and "She sings a song." The book says to check a dictionary when unsure.
Answers to the book's problems
Sentences will vary. Check that each transitive verb has an object, each intransitive verb has none, and each copulative verb joins a predicate to the subject.
Worked out for this site from the scan. If a number in your copy differs, trust the book.