Identify transitive and intransitive verbs

Let’s break down the process of identifying the action verb and determining if it is transitive or intransitive in a detailed, step-by-step manner.

Step-by-Step Analysis

1. Identify the Action Verb:
   • Sentence: “Joan opened the door.”
   • Action Verb: “opened” (It describes what Joan did.)
2. Determine if the Verb is Transitive or Intransitive:
   • A verb is transitive if it has a direct object, meaning it acts on someone or something.
   • A verb is intransitive if it does not have a direct object and does not act on someone or something.
3. Find the Direct Object:
   • To find the direct object, ask “What or whom did Joan open?”
   • Question: “What did Joan open?”
   • Answer: “the door”
4. Analyze the Answer:
   • The answer to the question “What did Joan open?” is “the door.”
   • “The door” is receiving the action of the verb “opened.”
5. Conclusion:
   • Since “the door” is a noun phrase that receives the action of the verb “opened,” it is the direct object.
   • Therefore, the verb “opened” is transitive in this sentence because it has a direct object.

Summary

• Action Verb: opened
• Transitivity: Transitive
• Direct Object: the door

In this detailed breakdown, we identified the action verb, asked the appropriate question to find the direct object, and concluded that the verb “opened” is transitive because