Using transitive and intransitive verbs

Verbs which can be used transitively and intransitively

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Transitive or intransitive: a special case

There is a special group of verbs such as roll which can be used transitively or intransitively . Compare the following examples:

Roger rolled the boulder down the hill.

The boulder rolled down the hill.

In the first example, Roger can be seen as the "doer" of the action, ie the boulder wouldn't have rolled down if he hadn't given it a push. Compare this with the second example in which only the action itself is represented - this time the thing affected by the action (the boulder) appears as the subject; however, here it seems as if the boulder rolled down of its own accord.

Verbs which can be used transitively or intransitively with the same meaning are referred to as ergative verbs.

For further information about ergative verbs, see Using transitive and intransitive verbs: Using ergative verbs.

Introduction
Reasons why verbs can be both transitive and intransitive
A list of verbs whose meaning doesn't change
A list of verbs whose meaning changes
A list of phrasal verbs whose meaning changes
Transitive or intransitive: a special case