INTRANSITIVITY Meaning and
Definition
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Intransitivity refers to the property or characteristic of a verb or verb phrase that does not require or allow for the presence of a direct object. It is the opposite of transitivity, which refers to the property of a verb that requires or allows for the presence of a direct object. Intransitivity is commonly associated with intransitive verbs, which are verbs that do not take a direct object to complete their meaning.
Intransitivity is often seen in verbs that describe actions or events that do not involve a transfer of action onto an object. Such verbs indicate actions or states that are complete in themselves and do not require the presence or involvement of something or someone else. For example, verbs like "sleep," "smile," "arrive," and "run" are all examples of intransitive verbs.
The intransitive nature of certain verbs can be identified by their inability to answer the question "What?" after the verb. For instance, "He smiled" and "She slept" cannot answer "He smiled what?" or "She slept what?" making them intransitive. In contrast, transitive verbs like "eat," "throw," "write," and "give" can provide an answer to "What?" by requiring a direct object, as in "He ate an apple," "She threw the ball," "I wrote a letter," and "They gave me a gift."
Understanding intransitivity is important in grammar and sentence structure, as it helps determine the proper use and arrangement of words and phrases in a sentence, particularly in terms of subject-verb agreement and the presence or absence of objects.
Common Misspellings for INTRANSITIVITY
- untransitivity
- jntransitivity
- kntransitivity
- ontransitivity
- 9ntransitivity
- 8ntransitivity
- ibtransitivity
- imtransitivity
- ijtransitivity
- ihtransitivity
- inrransitivity
- infransitivity
- ingransitivity
- inyransitivity
- in6ransitivity
- in5ransitivity
- inteansitivity
- intdansitivity
- intfansitivity
Etymology of INTRANSITIVITY
The word "intransitivity" comes from the prefix "in-", meaning "not", and the word "transitive", which ultimately derives from the Latin word "transitivus". The Latin term "transitivus" is formed from the verb "transire", meaning "to go across" or "to pass over". In English grammar, the term "transitive" refers to a type of verb that takes a direct object. Thus, "intransitivity" refers to the quality of not being transitive.
Similar spelling words for INTRANSITIVITY
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