trouble
warn
transitive verbs that need to be followed by an adverb or prepositional phrase
3.19 With some transitive verbs, you have to give additional information about what is going on by using an adverb or prepositional phrase after the object.
Some verbs typically have a prepositional phrase beginning with a particular preposition after their object.
The judge based his decision on constitutional rights.
He had subjected me to the pressure of financial ruin.
My parents still view me as a little boy.
Here is a list of verbs that always or usually have a particular preposition after their object:
regard as
view as
~
mistake for
swap for
~
dissociate from
prevent from
~
deprive of
remind of
rid of
rob of
~
accustom to
ascribe to
attribute to
compare to
condemn to
confine to
consign to
dedicate to
entitle to
liken to
owe to
return to
subject to
subordinate to
~
acquaint with
associate with
confront with
engrave with
pelt with
ply with
trust with
With the following verbs, there is a choice of preposition:
divide by
divide into
~
incorporate in
incorporate into
~
base on
base upon
lavish on
lavish upon
~
entrust to
entrust with
equate to
equate with
present to
present with
supply to
supply with
3.20 Other verbs are typically followed by an adverb or prepositional phrase, but not one containing a particular preposition. The adverb or phrase often relates to place.
He placed the baby on the woman’s lap.
I positioned my chair outside the room.
He never puts anything away.
He treated his labourers with kindness.
Here is a list of verbs that usually have some kind of adverb or prepositional phrase after their object:
bring
chuck
convey
cram
direct
drag
escort
fling
hoist
jab
jot
lay
lead
place
point
position
prop
put
rip
send
set
shove
smear
stick
store
throw
thrust
tie
treat
For more on adverbs and phrases that follow verbs, see Chapter 6.
transitive verbs of position and movement
3.21 Note that some verbs of movement and position are transitive, not intransitive; they are followed by nouns referring to places rather than by adverbs or prepositional phrases. This is because the verbs themselves show that you are talking about movement or position of a particular kind. For example, enter implies movement into a place and occupy implies position in a place.
He approached the house nervously.
It was dark by the time they reached their house.
A small ornamental pool occupied the centre of the room.
Everyone had left the room.
Here is a list of transitive verbs of movement:
approach
enter
leave
near
reach
round
Here is a list of transitive verbs of position:
cover
crowd
fill
inhabit
occupy
throng
Some verbs of movement can be followed either by a noun phrase or by a prepositional phrase. See paragraph 3.58.
3.22 Note that even verbs that are almost always followed by an object can occasionally be used without an object. This is possible in very restricted contexts. For example, if you are contrasting two actions, it is not necessary to say what else is involved.
Money markets are the places where people with money buy and sell.
Some people build while others destroy.
We gave, they took.
If you use a list of different verbs for emphasis, you do not need to name the object.
They set out to be rude; to defy, threaten, or tease.
If you repeat a verb in order to contrast it with a similar action, or to emphasize it, the object can be omitted.
She had ceased to love as she had once loved.
3.23 Verbs that describe feelings and attitudes are sometimes used without an object, particularly in the to-infinitive form. This is because the object is assumed to be people in general. For example, please usually requires an object, but you can say He likes to please, meaning he likes to please people.
He likes to shock.
She was anxious to please.
He must be convinced if he is to convince.
I have a tendency to tease.
reporting verbs
3.24 There is a large group of verbs, such as say, suggest, and think, which are used to report what people say or think. They are called reporting verbs. They are followed by a that-clause which is called the reported clause.
She said that she would come.
The reported clause is often thought of as being an object, and so these verbs are usually said to be transitive verbs. In this book, reporting verbs are explained in Chapter 7.
Reporting verbs such as advise and persuade, which have an object that refers to the person being addressed, are explained in paragraphs 7.75 and 7.76.
Some reporting verbs can take as their object a noun such as question or story that refers to something that is said or written. These verbs are listed in paragraph 7.82. Some take an object that refers to an event or fact, and is therefore closely related to a that-clause. These are listed in paragraph 7.83.
Verbs such as believe and know that can be used as reporting verbs, but that are ordinary transitive verbs when used with another common meaning, are included in the lists of transitive verbs given above.
3.25 Most transitive verbs can be used in the passive. See paragraphs 9.9 to 9.21.
Reflexive verbs: verbs where the object refers back to the subject
3.26 If you want to talk about a situation where the same person is involved as both the subject and the object of an action, you use a reflexive pronoun as the object of a clause. For example, it is common to blame someone else if something goes wrong, but you say I blame myself for what happened if you think that the mistake was your own fault.
Although a few verbs are typically used with reflexive pronouns, you can actually use a reflexive pronoun as the object of any transitive verb, when the meaning allows you to do so.