Using transitive and intransitive verbs
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A special type of direct object | page 2 of 4 |
Some examples
With most transitive action verbs, it is clear that the direct object is in some way
directly affected by the action 
. However, there are a small number of action verbs which, when
used transitively take direct objects which do not seem to be affected by the
action or event:
Sing
a song of sixpence, a pocket full of rye. (Traditional Nursery Rhyme)I never thought for one moment that I'd hear somebody singing a song about Dennis the Red-nosed Reindeer ...
Unlike the situation with most transitive action verbs it is not very meaningful to ask what happened to the direct object. If we ask: "What happened to the song that was sung?" in each of the above examples, it is clear that nothing happened to it. Consider other examples:
"Foot soldier" lived the high life in $147m fraud: A 26-year-old bank employee earning $9,000 a month used a ''staggeringly'' simple scheme to cheat his employer of $147 million to live a life of luxury for a year.
She smiled an infinitely inviting smile. (Bank of English)
In these examples the direct object seems merely to repeat the meaning conveyed by the verb.
Introduction
Some examples
