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Transitive verbs Verb forms to talk about the past

English verbs are classifi ed as transitive or intransitive. 1BTU TJNQMF
Dictionaries identify them with the letters T and I.
The past simple tense is used to describe:
t A transitive verb must be followed by an object: t an action that happened or a state that existed at a
She found the information on the Internet. (the specifi c time in the past:
information is the object of the transitive verb found.)
Yesterday I felt so tired that I didn’t go to work.
t An intransitive verb has no object: t an action that lasted for a period of time in the past, but
At five past seven our train arrived.

is now fi nished:
t Because transitive verbs have an object, they can be used I studied in Paris for four years from 2005 to 2009.
in the passive form: t a habitual action over a specifi c period in the past:
Active: Someone stole our car from outside the house. While he was away, he rang his girlfriend every day.
Passive: Our car was stolen from outside the house.
t actions which happened one after the other:
Intransitive verbs cannot be used in the passive form.
She opened the fridge, took out the milk, gave some to
t Some transitive verbs can have two objects, a direct the cat and put some in her coffee.
object and an indirect object:
They will send you an email to confi rm your booking. (an 1BTU DPOUJOVPVT
email is the direct object of will send; you is the indirect The past continuous tense is used to describe:
object.)
t an activity which started before and continued until an
Either of these objects may become the subject of a event in the past:
passive sentence. She was driving home when the police stopped her. (The
You will be sent an email to confi rm your booking. activity of driving was interrupted by the police’s action.)
An email will be sent to you to confi rm your booking.
t an activity which started before and continued after an
t Many verbs can be used transitively and intransitively, event in the past:
sometimes with different meanings:www.english0905.com
I was cooking lunch when I heard the news. (And I
Could you help me move this table? (transitive) continued to cook lunch afterwards.)
We’re moving tomorrow. (intransitive)
t a situation which was temporary at a time in the past:
I think I left my books at college. (transitive) I remember that summer well. I was staying with my aunt
They left at three o’clock. (intransitive) at the time, while my parents were away.
She runs her business from home. (transitive) Compare the use of the past simple when the situation in
A river runs through our village. (intransitive) the past was more permanent:
I lived in Rome when I was a child. (not I was living)

t something that frequently happened, with always or
forever, often to express amusement or irritation:
My dad was always dressing up in funny hats.
We got fed up with Jill, who was forever complaining.
4UBUF WFSCT

We do not usually use the continuous with state verbs (this
applies to all tenses). These are commonly:
t verbs which express PQJOJPOT, GFFMJOHT PS LOPXMFEHF,
e.g. agree, believe, disagree, hate, know, like, love,
need, prefer, realise, regret, understand
t verbs which describe BQQFBSBODF, e.g. appear, look,
seem, resemble
t verbs which describe TFOTFT e.g. smell, taste
t these other verbs: belong, consist, contain, cost, own

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