I argued with this man for half an hour.
Reciprocal verbs are explained in paragraphs 3.68 to 3.72.
verbs with two objects
3.6 Some transitive verbs also allow you to mention a person who benefits from an action or receives something as a result. The verb is then followed by both a direct object and an indirect object.
Hand me my bag.
His uncle had given him books on India.
She sends you her love.
She passed him his cup.
Verbs that can take an indirect object as well as a direct object are explained in paragraphs 3.73 to 3.82.
phrasal verbs, compound verbs
3.7 Some verbs have two or three parts. These are phrasal verbs and compound verbs. Phrasal verbs are explained in paragraphs 3.83 to 3.116, and compound verbs are explained in paragraphs 3.117 to 3.125.
Intransitive verbs: talking about events that involve only the subject
3.8 When you are talking about an action or event that does not have an object, you use an intransitive verb.
Her whole body ached.
Such people still exist.
My condition deteriorated.
Many intransitive verbs describe physical behaviour or the making of sounds.
Bob coughed.
Vicki wept bitterly.
The gate squeaked.
3.9 Here is a list of verbs that are normally used without an object and that usually or often have no adverb or prepositional phrase after them:
ache
advance
arise
arrive
bleed
blush
cease
collapse
cough
crackle
cry
decay
depart
deteriorate
die
digress
dine
disappear
disintegrate
doze
droop
economize
elapse
ensue
erupt
evaporate
exist
expire
faint
fall
falter
fidget
flinch
flourish
fluctuate
gleam
growl
happen
hesitate
howl
itch
kneel
laugh
moan
occur
pause
persist
prosper
quiver
recede
relent
rise
roar
scream
shine
shiver
sigh
sleep
slip
smile
snarl
sneeze
snore
snort
sob
sparkle
speak
squeak
squeal
stink
subside
sulk
surrender
swim
throb
tingle
vanish
vary
vibrate
wait
waver
weep
wilt
work
yawn
A few of these verbs are used with an object in idioms or with very specific objects, but they are intransitive in all their common meanings.
intransitive verbs followed by phrases that begin with a preposition
3.10 Many intransitive verbs always or typically have an adverb or prepositional phrase after them. With some, only a prepositional phrase beginning with a particular preposition is possible. This use of a preposition allows something affected by the action to be mentioned, as the object of the preposition.
Everything you see here belongs to me.
Landlords often resorted to violence.
I sympathized with them.
I’m relying on Bill.
He strives for excellence in all things.
3.11 Here is a list of verbs that always or typically have a particular preposition after them when they are used with a particular meaning:
rave about
~
insure against
plot against
react against
~
hint at
~
alternate between
differentiate between
oscillate between
~
appeal for
atone for
care for
clamour for
hope for
long for
opt for
pay for
qualify for
strive for
yearn for
~
detract from
emanate from
emerge from
radiate from
shrink from
stem from
suffer from
~
believe in
consist in
culminate in
dabble in
indulge in
invest in
result in
wallow in
~
lapse into
~
complain of
conceive of
consist of
despair of
learn of
smack of
think of
tire of
~
bet on
feed on
insist on
spy on
trample on
~
adhere to
allude to
amount to
appeal to
aspire to
assent to
attend to
belong to
bow to
cling to
defer to
dictate to
lead to
listen to
object to
refer to
relate to
resort to
revert to
stoop to
~
alternate with
associate with
consort with
contend with
flirt with
grapple with
sympathize with
teem with
Here is a list of verbs that can have either of two prepositions after them with the same or very similar meaning:
abound in
abound with
cater for
cater to
conform to
conform with
contribute to
contribute towards
depend on
depend upon
dote on
dote upon
embark on
embark upon
end in
end with
engage in
engage on
enthuse about
enthuse over
gravitate to
gravitate towards
hunger after
hunger for
improve on
improve upon
liaise between
liaise with
lust after
lust for
prevail on
prevail upon
profit by
profit from
rely on
rely upon
revolve around
revolve round
spring from
spring out of
Note that some intransitive verbs can be used in the passive when they are followed by a preposition. See paragraph 9.23.
intransitive verbs followed by an adverb or prepositional phrase
3.12 Other verbs can be followed by a variety of prepositional phrases, or an adverb, often relating to time or place.
Verbs of movement are usually or often followed by adverbs or phrases relating to direction.
He went back to his own room.
I travelled south.
Here is a list of verbs of movement:
come
crawl
creep
drift
flow
gallop
glide
go
hurtle
plunge
run
soar
spring
stroll
travel
walk
Look, gaze, glance, and stare are also followed by adverbs or phrases relating to direction.
Verbs of position are usually followed by adverbs or phrases relating to position.
Donald was lying on the bed.
She lives in Lausanne.
I used to live here.
Here is a list of verbs of position: