Verbs are divided according to their use into transitive and intransitive.

A transitive verb requires an object to complete its meaning.

For example 

In the sentence:
 The young man opened the door.
opened is a transitive verb and the door its object.

In the sentence:
  What walls can guard me or what shades hide [me].
                                        Alexander Pope
can guard and hide are transitive verbs. The stated me and the understood me are the objects.

Intransitive verbs do not require an object to complete their meaning.

For example

The horses ran.
The sun rises.

Some verbs can be transitive in one sentence or clause and intransitive in a different sentence or clause. The transitive and intransitive forms may have slight differences in meaning.
Verbs can also be divided by their relation to their subject as active voice verbs and passive voice verbs.
Active voice verbs represent their subject in an active state, as doing something.
Passive voice verbs represent their subject in a passive state. The subject receives or suffers an action.
The object or complement of the transitive verb stands as an answer to the question what? or whom? with the subject and verb.

For example

In the sentence:
An ox eats (what?) hay, grass, oats, and corn.
hay, grass, oats, and corn are the objects of the transitive verb eats.

In the sentence:
The boy found (whom?) his mother.
his mother is the object of the transitive verb found.

To determine whether a verb is transitive or intransitive, use this test:

• Ask with the verb the question What? or Whom?
• If the meaning of the verb as used in a sentence has a noun or a pronoun that differs in meaning from the subject, or if one is obviously required to complete its meaning, it is a transitive verb. Otherwise, it is intransitive.

When the noun or pronoun added after the verb names or renames the subject person or thing, it is not the object of the verb but is call the predicate nominative. In this case, the verb is intransitive.
Verbs like this are called linking verbs in that they are used to join nouns or pronouns that refer to the same thing. The main linking verbs are all of the forms of the verb to be.
Some other linking verbs are:

• is called
• is named
• is elected

There are three main parts of a clause using a transitive verb:

• the subject
• the verb or predicate
• the object of the verb

For example

Caesar (subject) crossed (verb or predicate) the Rubicon (object of the verb).

There are two main parts in a clause using an intransitive verb:

• the subject
• the verb or predicate

For example

The tempest (subject) rages (verb or predicate).

A number of verbs have more than a single meaning and may be transitive in some clauses and intransitive in others.

For example

We (subject) broke (verb or predicate) their chains (object of the verb).
The chain (subject) broke (verb or predicate).
Dawn (subject) broke (verb or predicate).
The horse (subject) ran (verb or predicate).
The horse (subject) ran (verb or predicate) a race (object of the verb).

At this point proceed to Exercise 17.