Transitive verbs require a direct object. Which option describes this correctly?

Transitive verbs require a direct object. Which option describes this correctly?

• A. They require a direct object
• B. They require no object
• C. They indicate negation
• D. They describe emotion

Answer: (A)

Transitive verbs are action verbs that act upon something—the direct object. The essential idea is that the action is performed on a person or thing, so the sentence needs a direct object to complete the thought. For example, in “She reads a book,” reads is the transitive verb and a book is the direct object receiving the action. Without that object, the statement feels incomplete or vague. Some verbs only take a direct object, while others can be used without one (intransitive) or with or without one (ambitransitive). The key distinction is that transitive verbs require a direct object to convey a complete idea, which is why the description that they require a direct object best fits. The other options describe negation or emotion, or suggest no object is needed, which doesn’t define what makes a verb transitive.

Transitive verbs are action verbs that act upon something—the direct object. The essential idea is that the action is performed on a person or thing, so the sentence needs a direct object to complete the thought. For example, in “She reads a book,” reads is the transitive verb and a book is the direct object receiving the action. Without that object, the statement feels incomplete or vague.

Some verbs only take a direct object, while others can be used without one (intransitive) or with or without one (ambitransitive). The key distinction is that transitive verbs require a direct object to convey a complete idea, which is why the description that they require a direct object best fits. The other options describe negation or emotion, or suggest no object is needed, which doesn’t define what makes a verb transitive.