Verbs: Transitive and Intransitive Depending on its use in a particular sentence, an action verb can be either
transitive or intransitive. A transitive verb is followed by a word or words called
the direct object that answers the question what? or whom? An intransitive verb
is an action verb that does not have a direct object.
TRANSITIVE: Shawn painted landscapes and portraits. (Landscapes and
portraits make up the compound direct object that answers the question what?
Shawn painted.)
INTRANSITIVE: Shawn painted beautifully. (There is no direct object answering
the question what? or whom? Shawn painted.)
Exercise 1 Draw two lines under each action verb. Draw one line under each direct
object. In the blank, write T if the verb is transitive or I if the verb is intransitive.
T
Aaron painted his house white.
Hiroko plays softball and tennis every summer.
2. The pigeon drank water from the muddy puddle.
3. The eagle soared higher and higher in the sky.
4. The stern judge gave a harsh sentence to the defendant.
5. The happy baby wore a toothless grin.
6. New Zealand lies about 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) southeast of Australia.
7. City council meets once a week.
8. Maria prepares dinner for the family.
9. The artist paints colorful, geometric designs.
10. The news reporter lifted her eyebrows in disbelief.
11. The news of war shocked the nation and the world.
12. The timid man muttered under his breath.
13. Most dinosaurs resembled birds in their leg and foot structure.
14. The assistant coach made a suggestion.
15. The buffalo herd-stampeded across the prairie.

2. read the excerpt from martin luther king, jr.'s nobel peace prize acceptance speech: i accept this award today with an abiding faith in america and an audacious faith in the future of mankind. i refuse to accept despair as the final response to the ambiguities of history. i refuse to accept the idea that the "isness" of man's present nature makes him morally incapable of reaching up for the eternal "oughtness" that forever confronts him. i refuse to accept the idea that man is mere flotsam and jetsam in the river of life, unable to influence the unfolding events which surround him. i refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality. i refuse to accept the cynical notion that nation after nation must spiral down a militaristic stairway into the hell of thermonuclear destruction. i believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. this is why right temporarily defeated is stronger than evil triumphant. i believe that even amid today's mortar bursts and whining bullets, there is still hope for a brighter tomorrow. i believe that wounded justice, lying prostrate on the blood-flowing streets of our nations, can be lifted from this dust of shame to reign supreme among the children of men. i have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality and freedom for their spirits. i believe that what self-centered men have torn down other-centered men can build up. i still believe that one day mankind will bow before the altars of god and be crowned triumphant over war and bloodshed, and nonviolent redemptive good will proclaim the rule of the land. "and the lion and the lamb shall lie down together and every man shall sit under his own vine and fig tree and none shall be afraid." i still believe that we shall overcome! instructions: create an outline for a speech that connects a theme from this excerpt to your own life. in the first part of the outline, organize an explanation of what king's theme means. in the second part of the outline, organize your explanation of how this theme connects to at least one event from your life. the first and second parts of your outline do not need to be of equal length. throughout the outline, be sure to cite or describe specific evidence from the text or from your personal experiences. also, organize ideas appropriately, develop your argument with relevant information, and provide a concluding section. (15 points)