How to Use Ergative Verbs...Erga-what?! 😕 Learn Advanced English Grammar with Jennifer 👩‍🏫

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What do you do when you hear a grammar term that you don't know?

I usually blink, and

then I squint as

I begin to think.

Yes, believe it or not, I don't know every single grammar term used in all the books.

First of all, some books go really deep into grammar, and I don't always find the terminology practical.

Second, different sources use different terms for the same thing

sometimes, like present progressive and present continuous.

So it gets confusing even for a teacher.

In this lesson, I'd like to talk about ergative verbs.

"Erga-what?!" you say.

Ergative verbs. It's a funny-sounding term, isn't it?

I admit this is a term I didn't know about when I first started teaching English.

In fact, I didn't hear about ergative verbs until years after I got certified.

Most grammar textbooks in the classroom don't use this term, ergative verbs. So why learn it now?

Well, it's useful to have a name for a concept. We can benefit from

identifying a pattern used in speech.

That's what grammar is.

We identify patterns and do our best to follow what is standard in order to have clear communication.

If you watched my lesson on the parts of speech, then you know that verbs can be transitive or intransitive.

Transitive verbs take an object.

Intransitive verbs don't.

Here's a quick test. I'll show you six sentences. Which verbs are transitive?

Which verbs are intransitive?

The first verb: plays. Does it have an object? Yes. It's transitive.

Second verb: teaches.

Also transitive.

Do you see the verb? Explains. Is it transitive or intransitive?

Well, there's the object. It's transitive.

Same verb. Right? Transitive or intransitive?

No object. Here it's intransitive.

The first verb:

dances.

How is it being used?

As a transitive verb. There's the object.

Next verb:

show.

Transitive or intransitive?

Transitive. It has an object.

There's one more verb at the end. Works.

Does it have an object?

No. It's intransitive.

The first verb: convinces.

Convinces who?

There's the object. It's transitive.

Next two verbs:

Listened. Watched.

Any objects?

No direct objects. These are intransitive verbs.

And the last verb: has.

Transitive or intransitive?

Transitive. There's the object.

One verb: learn. There's the object. It's being used as a transitive verb.

Some verbs are always transitive. They always take an object, like "have." Have what?

Some verbs are always

intransitive, like "listen." We don't listen someone or listen music.

We can listen to someone. We can listen to music. Or we can just listen.

Then we have verbs that have both transitive and intransitive meanings.

Among those verbs are ergative verbs.

Ergative verbs have a special relationship between subjects and objects. Take a look.

I'll show you four pairs of sentences.

Identify the subjects and the objects of the transitive verbs. Look for a pattern.

This last pair of sentences is a spoiler if you haven't seen the movie.

But at the end,

Jerry tells his wife that he loves her, and he has to do this in front of a large group of women --

divorced women. So they all have reasons to be angry at men.

You just learned four ergative verbs.

Start, end,

change, soften.

The object of the transitive verb can be the subject of the intransitive verb. Get it?

By definition, "explain" wouldn't be an ergative verb. Think about it.

He explained his reasons.

His reasons explained?

But I can say, "Please allow me to explain."

So, although "explain" has a transitive and intransitive meaning, it doesn't fit the pattern of ergative verbs.

Correct?

Note how ergative verbs can give us an alternative to passive verbs.

The passive voice shifts the focus from the doer of the action to the receiver.

The relationship between cause and effect is still the same.

The ergative verb "change" doesn't really emphasize that an action was done to something or that an action was received.

The subject simply changed in some way.

Let's practice.

Create new sentences with intransitive verbs.

The ergative verbs are underlined.

Be sure to use the same verb and make the object of the transitive verb the subject

of the new sentence.

Here's a suggestion.

I'd say:

Okay. The next sentence is a spoiler,

but I can tell you that I've seen the ending dozens of times, and

the speech that Frank gives to the committee at Charlie's school is

just as powerful now as it was the first time I heard it.

I think it's one of the best speeches in a movie. It makes you hope for the goodness in people.

I might say:

So we can add three more verbs to our list of ergative verbs: develop, increase, strengthen.

You can search online for a more complete list of ergative verbs. Right now

I'm going to share some groupings of these verbs.

I think this way the information will be easier to process and remember.

Do you know what ergative verbs are now? And can you say that term with confidence? Ergative verbs.

For practice, take one ergative verb and write two sentences. Use the verb with a transitive and an intransitive meaning.

I'll offer corrections as time allows. You can help one another too.

Read the sentences that others post.

Offer suggestions if you think changes should be made.

That's all for now. If you have the time and interest, you can watch those three movie scenes I mentioned in the lesson.

Do a search and use these key phrases:

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