[title]Family quotes[/title] [description]Welcome to our family quotes section! Here you'll find some of the funniest (and wisest) quotes on the subject of family life![/description]
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Latest post Sun, Sep 9 2007 5:40 AM by Philip. 3 replies.
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Dudumuzik  +  416096 Sun, 09 Sep 07 03:15 AM

i am still confused when i use transitive verb and intransitive verb

what is the difference between  :"i knocked at the door"and "i knocked the door"

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Grammar Geek  +  416101 Sun, 09 Sep 07 04:30 AM

Hello Dudumuzik,

Welcome to the forums.

A transitive verb requires a direct object. You picked a hard one - grammatically, we don't say "I knocked the door." There is an expression "knock wood," but it's an idiom.

Was your question specifically about the verb "to knock" or about transitive verbs in general?

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Barbara, who answers in American English. My housekeeping skills attest to the truth of the second law of thermodynamics: Left to themselves, things get more and more random!
Dudumuzik  +  416104 Sun, 09 Sep 07 05:12 AM

I want to know more about transitive verb and intransitive one.it is so  prevalent that there are so many verbs which have both two forms.

such as  POKE

                    He was poking at the ashes.

                    Don't poke into my private affairs.

                   He poked about in a second-hand bookstore.

I think they all have objects(ash, affairs,bookstore ), why  use the intransitive form?

                    He poked me in the ribs with his elbow.

                   He poked a stake into the earth.

                    She was on her knees, poking the fire.

                    He poked a hole in the paper

But i dont think" hole" is an object.

Could you please elaborate that?thank you very very much 

Philip  +  416107 Sun, 09 Sep 07 05:40 AM
 Dudumuzik wrote:

I want to know more about transitive verb and intransitive one.it is so  prevalent that there are so many verbs which have both two forms.

such as  POKE

                    He was poking at the ashes.

                    Don't poke into my private affairs.

                   He poked about in a second-hand bookstore.

I think they all have objects(ash, affairs,bookstore ), why  use the intransitive form?

                    He poked me in the ribs with his elbow.

                   He poked a stake into the earth.

                    She was on her knees, poking the fire.

                    He poked a hole in the paper

But i dont think" hole" is an object.

Could you please elaborate that?thank you very very much 

Intransitive (no direct object)

Transitive (with direct object)  I'm not sure I would call 'hole' a direct object, but I don't know what else to call it.  I'll let the more gifted teachers clear this one up.

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