3.16 different types of object

Many verbs which are only used in transitive clauses can take a large range of objects. For example, there are many things you can 'want': money, a rest, success, and so on.

• She wanted some help.
• I put my hand on the door.
• She described her background.
• I still support the government.
• He had always liked Mr Phillips.
• Japan has a population of about a hundred million.

Some transitive verbs have a restricted range of objects, because of their meaning. For example, the object of the verb 'kill' must be something that is alive. The object of the verb 'waste' must be something you can use, such as time, money, or food.

• They killed huge elephants with tiny poisoned darts.
• Why waste money on them?

3.17

Here is a list of verbs which are transitive:

• achieve, address, admire, affect, afford, avoid, bear, believe, blame, build, buy, calm, carry, catch, claim, commit, complete, concern, consider, control, correct, cover, create, cut, damage, demand, describe, design, desire, destroy, discover, discuss, display, do, dread, enjoy, equal, exchange, expect, experience, express, favour, fear, fill, find, free, get, give, grant, guard, handle, hate, have, hear, heat, hire, hit, imagine, include, influence, introduce, issue, justify, keep, kill, know, lack, like, list, lower, maintain, make, mean, mention, name, need, own, plant, prefer, prevent, process, produce, pronounce, protect, provide, raise, reach, receive, recommend, record, release, remember, remove, rent, report, respect, reveal, risk, see, seek, specify, spot, support, take, test, threaten, trust, upset, use, value, want, warm, waste, wear, welcome

Note that 'do' and 'have' are also very often used as auxiliaries.

'Have got' and 'has got' are often used instead of the present tense of 'have' when talking about possession. The forms of 'have' behave like auxiliaries when used like this before 'got'. 'Had got' is sometimes used when referring to the past, but 'had' is often used instead.

• I've got an umbrella.
• She's got a degree.
• He'd got over fifty horses.

'Measure' and 'weigh' are sometimes considered to be transitive verbs when used to state measurements and weights. This use is explained in paragraph 2.269. 'Cost' is used to state the cost of something, as in 'An adult ticket costs 90p'.