Level: intermediate
Ergative verbs are both transitive and intransitive. The object when it is transitive is the same as the subject when it is intransitive:
Peter closed the door. | Transitive: N + V + N |
I boiled some water. The water boiled. | Transitive: N + V + N Intransitive: N + V |
Common ergative verbs are:
begin break change close crack | drop dry end finish grow | improve increase move open shake | start stop tear turn |
I broke the glass.
I dropped the glass and it broke.The referee started the match.
The match started at 2.30.We grew some tasty potatoes.
The potatoes were growing well.The wind shook the trees.
The trees shook in the wind.
Verbs to do with cooking are often ergative:
bake boil | cook defrost | freeze melt | roast |
You should roast the meat at 200 degrees.
The meat was roasting in a hot oven.I always defrost meat before I cook it.
I am waiting for the meat to defrost.Melt the chocolate and pour it over the ice cream.
The chocolate was melting in a pan.
Verbs to do with vehicles are often ergative:
back crash drive | fly reverse | run sail | start stop |
I'm learning to fly a plane.
The plane flew at twice the speed of sound.He crashed his car into a tree.
His car crashed into a tree.
Some verbs are ergative with only a few nouns:
catch: dress, coat, clothes, trousers, etc. |
fire: gun, pistol, rifle, rocket, etc. |
play: music, guitar, piano, CD, DVD, etc. |
ring: bell, alarm, etc. |
She caught her dress on a nail.
Her dress caught on a nail.He fired a pistol to start the race.
A pistol fired to start the race.Shall we play some music?
Some music played in the background.There's a fire! Ring the alarm!
The fire alarm rang at 11.42 a.m.
"Put your question in the box"
خودآزمایی ها |
نام | تعداد آزمون | میزان موفقیت | |
---|---|---|---|
محمد خزایی | 1 | 100/00 % | |
Sedigheh Vakilly | 1 | 100/00 % | |
نیلوفر نیک گفتار | 1 | 100/00 % | |
یاشار اسکندری | 1 | 100/00 % | |
کتایون صحبتی | 1 | 95/83 % | |
نیما شیرانی | 1 | 91/67 % |
نام | تعداد آزمون | میزان موفقیت | |
---|---|---|---|
َAmeneh Darvishzadeh | 1 | 100/00 % | |
Mehrad Hashemi | 1 | 100/00 % | |
Noushmehr Norsobhi | 1 | 100/00 % | |
محمدحسین میرزایی | 1 | 100/00 % | |
مهدی حسین پور آقائی | 1 | 100/00 % | |
Farnoush Toghiany | 21 | 98/36 % | |
zahra namdari | 46 | 98/21 % | |
یاسمن محمدی پور | 4 | 98/08 % | |
Tara Mohammadi | 3 | 96/43 % | |
yasaman mohamadipur | 51 | 95/86 % | |
مهدی هنرمند | 1 | 95/24 % | |
محمدجواد ملائی اردستانی | 3 | 94/44 % | |
Arzhang Saberi | 4 | 93/33 % | |
Soheila Karimi | 124 | 92/73 % | |
aram farhmand | 10 | 92/31 % | |
یاشار اسکندری | 98 | 91/14 % | |
عباس پورمیدانی | 1 | 90/00 % | |
پریسا سلوکی شهرضایی | 72 | 89/49 % | |
ارشیا قلمکاری | 33 | 89/23 % | |
Matin Azimipour | 30 | 88/17 % |