Using transitive and intransitive verbs
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Verbs which can be used transitively and intransitively | page 2 of 6 |
Reasons why verbs can be both transitive and intransitive
There are very few verbs in English which can be used only transitively or intransitively. Most verbs can be used in both transitive and intransitive clauses:
When he failed in his attempt to have sex and only wanted to pay $300, the woman became angry and hit him with her handbag. (SCMP 7/7/92)
When triads hit, they hit hard. (SCMP 23/5/95)
In the second example, the writer doesn't need to state the direct object, because it is generally understood to be "people" or "victims". Note that in the above examples, the meaning of hit remains basically the same, although in the second example the meaning is less literal, ie not hitting with a fist, but causing physical damage (as much to property as to person). Other metaphorical usages of hit may be even further from the literal sense:
The recession has hit hard and the demand grows. (Bank of English)
Verbs whose meaning changes
Some verbs have more than one meaning, depending on whether they are used in transitive or intransitive clauses. For example, consider the use of ran in the following examples:
Police had said To ran the Chun Yue Entertainment Production Company which produced a film starring actress Maggie Cheung and singer Jacky Cheung. He also ran a boxing school. (SCMP 21/3/94)
I vaulted over the solid, marble-faced counter of the DHL parcel office and crouched down while frightened shoppers and businessmen ran in all directions. (SCMP 19/5/94)
In the first example, ran is used transitively to mean "managed", whereas in the second example it is used intransitively with a completely different meaning.
Some verbs which are normally used transitively can become intransitive when a
particle 
is added. For example compare take and take off:
Nevil took his grandfather's watch from his pocket and glanced at it.
(Bank of English)The flight took off from a small town not far from the disputed region, bound for Ekaterinburg in the Ural Mountains. (Bank of English)
A special type of direct object
There are a small number of verbs such as smile, sing and live, which are normally used intransitively, but they can appear to be transitive when used with a special type of direct object which is directly related to the verb:
Thrasher smiled his particularly deadly smile. (Bank of English)
Sing a song of sixpence, a pocket full of rye. (Traditional Nursery Rhyme)
Live a life of luxury. (SCMP 13/10/93)
For further information about verbs which behave in this way, see 
Using transitive and intransitive verbs: A special type of direct
object.
Reasons why verbs can be both transitive and intransitive
