Chapter VIII The Verb
Verbs may be transitive or intransitive.
A verb is transitive when it needs an object to complete its meaning; that is, when the action passes over (Latin, transire, to pass over) from the subject or doer to the object or receiver; as,
He hit the ball.
A verb is intransitive when it needs no object to complete its meaning; as,
The crowd cheered.
Some intransitive verbs require a predicate noun or pronoun in the nominative case, or an adjective, to complete their meaning. They are the verbs be, become, appear, seem, feel, taste, look, smell; as,
Adjective: The berries taste sour.
Noun: John is my brother.
Pronoun: It is I.
Such verbs are sometimes called copulatives.
Exercise 98
Tell whether each verb in the following sentences is transitive or intransitive and whether it is followed by a noun or a pronoun in the nominative or the objective case or by a complementary adjective.
1. Primitive people have left traces of very early commercial relations.
2. Explorers visited the Ohio valley and found articles of remote manufacture.
3. Checks and drafts are great conveniences to the business man.
4. The United States Supreme Court made a decision that labor unions are punishable under trust penalties.
5. A labor union is different from a trust.
6. This is the opinion of the labor leader.
7. What is your opinion?
8. The total value of merchandise sent to Latin-America from the United States exceeds that supplied by any other single country.
Write three sentences illustrating transitive verbs.
Write three sentences illustrating intransitive verbs.
Write three sentences illustrating copulative verbs.
Exercise 99—Voice
Voice is that property of the verb that shows whether the subject acts or is acted upon. If the subject acts, the verb is in the active voice. If the subject is acted upon, the verb is in the passive voice. Every sentence containing a transitive verb must have the following parts:
| Agent(doer) | Action | Receiver |
| The runaway horse | injured | John. |
When the sentence is in the order shown above, the subject is the agent, and the verb expresses the action of the agent. When the sentence is written in this order, the verb is said to be in the active voice.
However, without changing the meaning of the sentence, we may change the order of the ideas; thus,
| Receiver | Action | Agent |
| John | was injured | by the runaway horse. |
The receiver of the action has become the subject, and the agent has become part of the predicate, being expressed in the phrase by the runaway horse. When the sentence is expressed in this order, the subject receiving or “suffering” the action, the verb is said to be in the passive voice. Only transitive verbs, therefore, may be changed to the passive voice.
Note.—There are certain intransitive verbs that sometimes have a preposition so closely connected with them that the two are treated almost like a transitive verb, and may be made passive; as,
Active: The audience laughed at the speaker.
Passive: The speaker was laughed at by the audience.
Write five sentences in the active voice.
Change them to the passive voice.
In the sentences that you have written, is the active form of the verb or the passive form better? Which is more direct in its wording? Which, then, is the better form to use regularly?
Exercise 100—Number and Person
The number of the verb is decided by the number of the subject. If the subject is a singular noun, or a pronoun that stands for a singular noun, it requires a singular verb; if the subject is plural, it requires a plural verb. As a rule, there is no difference between the singular and the plural forms of the verb except in the form for the third person singular; as,
| I say | We say |
| You say | You say |
| He says | They say |
But as the third person of the verb is the one most often used, it must be carefully noted.
The following subjects of verbs are singular and require a singular verb to accompany them:
1. A collective noun that denotes a group of objects acting as one thing; as,
The crowd is scattering.
2. A group of words which, like a collective noun, is plural in form but singular in meaning; as,
Thirty dollars is what I paid for the ring.
3. A singular noun modified by every, each, one, no, many a; or the pronouns each, everybody, either, neither, and none when it means not one; as,
Each of us has his lesson.
Many an opportunity has been wasted.
Everybody is here now.
4. Singular1 nouns or pronouns joined by or, either—or, neither—nor; as,
Either John or his father is coming.
5. Two nouns joined by and, denoting one person or thing; as,
The bookkeeper and stenographer is an expert.
Note.—If two persons are meant, the article should be repeated before the second noun.
The following subjects of verbs are plural and require plural verbs:
1. A collective noun denoting plurality; that is, referring to the individuals that compose the group; as,
The class are all studious.
2. A compound subject joined by and, when the objects joined are different; as,
The door and the window are both open.
3. The pronoun you, though it may denote only one person; as,
Right: You were right.
Wrong: You was right.
Exercise 101
In the following sentences, decide which of the italicized forms is correct. Give the reason for your choice.
1. Two dollars is—are too much for you to pay.
2. Bread and butter is—are what I prefer to eat.
3. Bread and butter is—are both sold here.
4. His opinion and mine is—are different.
5. The majority of the class is—are present.
6. The class is—are dismissed.
7. The congregation is—are asked to remain a few minutes after the close of the service.
8. The community is—are rapidly changing.
9. A few of the books was—were given to me.
10. There was—were forty people present.
11. The secretary and treasurer was—were asked to read his—their report.
12. One-third of the office was—were late this morning because the cars were not running.
13. He don’t—doesn’t understand what I mean.
14. If the quality and the price is—are right, buy.
15. There come—comes a crowd of people.
16. The library with its thousands of books was—were destroyed by fire.
17. There don’t—doesn’t seem to be much difference between the two.
18. The whole system of filing and indexing is—are wrong.
19. Safety as well as success is—are at stake.
20. The state of public affairs calls—call for quick action.
21. Many a man has—have neglected golden opportunities.
22. Many men has—have neglected golden opportunities.
23. The committee has—have given its—their report.
24. Our team was—were beaten.
25. One of us surely is—are mistaken.
26. Every one was—were happy when Tom was elected president.
27. Tom and James is—are going skating.
28. Tom with his brother James is—are going skating.
29. The only thing I have not prepared for dinner is—are the potatoes.
30. Fifty feet of sidewalk was—were laid to-day.
31. None of the boys is—are studying stenography.
32. Neither Tom nor his brother is—are studying stenography.
33. Both Tom and his brother is—are stenographers.
34. Every one is—are interested in the cost of living.
In the last sentence above substitute one of the following for every one, using the correct form of the verb with each:
each of us; everybody; all of us; several people; both of the men; neither of the men; neither Mary nor John; Mary and John; our club; our class; the nation; not only Europe but America; Europe as well as America; the nation as well as several of the larger cities