The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1888-04-26
For the Teachers department
4 Few Remarks on Criticism Found in
this Column.

a Few Remarks on Criticism Found IN
this Column.
It has been stated in this column
that there is no such classification of
verbs as transitive and intransitive
per Sc, i.e., "We cannot take the verbs
OF { the Language and label them as tran
sitive and intransitive. The above
statement we deny, and proceed to
prove it.
If there are any such words in the
language which are called verbs, then
there is such a classification. The first
striking distinction, in reference to
meaning which arrests our attention, is
that between verbs which express alone
L complete predicate-form full ra-
tional assertion respecting the subject
of the proposition-and those which
DO not express a predicate without the
help of other words to complete them.
This classification divides verbs ION
the principle of their requiring or not
requiring one particular form Of conf
plement) into transitive and intransi-
tive verbs. Transitive verbs express an
action which does not terminate in the
subject, but passes over on some other
object either expressed or implied in the
proposition. The object which under
goes the action expressed by the verb is
called, to distinguish it from ether OBJ
jects of the verbs action, the suffering
orpassive object. From the fact that the
action of these verbs passes over, they
have been called transitive verbs. Every
verb that expresses a complete predi-
cate, i. e., an action which terminates in
the subject, not passing over to some
other word in the proposition, belongs
of course to the class of intransitive
verbs.
We admit that frequently the same
word is used both asa transitive and an
intransitive verb-but, let it be renlem-
bercd, with very different meanings.
Thus, The ship sinks, and The pirate
sinks the ship. In the former sentence
sinks expresses a complete predicate,
and is used intransitively; in the latter,
sinks is employed transitively. In
regard to most of these verbs doubly
employed, as tranSitive and intransi-
tive verbs, the intransitive is their pri-
nlltive or original use, and the transit
tive 4 secondary Use usurped in the
progress of language. Many of these
verbs i'll their usurped or transitive use,
belong toa class which are called causi-
tivcs. In the transitive use they signi-
fy to cause 10 do that which the intran-
sitive verb expresses. In the above ex-
ample, The pirate causes the ship to
sink.
Those different examples of sentences
Which contain the verb run in the Art:
Can an IntranSitive Verb Take an
Ob;ect:H, show that the verb is used in
a cauSative way. The verb run is used
in different sense every time. The
scamstreSS runs i. e. makes a seam.
Hackmen run i. G. cause hacks to run.
y carpenter runs i. Z. passes the rope
etc
We do not feel convinced of the posi-
ton we maintained, at the Teachers
Association, that there are examples of
pure intransitivc or complete verbs, and
ifa nou1 (object) is to I've definite. not
ut all necessary to the sense, then, such
an object is cogEate or 4 noun of kim
lred meaning. ''lt is IN object cX-
preSSin" in noun-form the action, or a
variety of the action, signitied by the
verb itself" Examples. You will dance
jig. Let Us die the death of the righte-
Gus. He lived a long life. Fight the
good fight.
1t may be possible that you are not
mistaken in the position we have as
sunicd: and We do not feel burdened, or