Ergative Verbs

Term:
Ergative
Verbs

Definition:
Ergative verbs are found in sentences
where the verb affects the subject:
The sun melted the butter.
Here, we have a sentence with a
standard subject, a transitive verb and a
direct object.
The butter melted.
Here, the subject was the object of the
original sentence. The butter didn't melt
itself- it required the heat of the sun.
This is an ergative verb use, where the
subject of the intransitive form of the
verb would be the object of the
transitive form of the verb.
See Also: u!iliar" Verb# $itransitive Verb#
$"namic Verb# %inite Verb# &nchoative Verb#
&ntransitive Verb# &rregular Verb# 'iddle
Verb# 'odal Verb# (erformative Verb#
)egular Verb# *tative Verb# Transitive Verb#
Verbs# Verb +rou,# Verb (hrase# 'ain Verb#
(arts of *,eech
'Ergative Verbs' - Related
Links
Grammar Topic: Verbs and Tenses
-rowse the following lin.s to other
content related to 'Ergative Verbs'
from the 'Verbs and Tenses' grammar
categor":
Glossary Entries
ctive
gents
mbitransitive
Verbs
s,ect
u!iliar"
Verbs
-ase %orm
/ausative
Verbs
/ontinuous
Verbs
/o,ula Verbs
$eclarative
'ood
$itransitive
Verbs
$"namic
Verbs
Em,hatic
%orms
%inite Verbs
%uture (erfect
%uture (erfect
(rogressive
0%uture
(erfect
/ontinuous1
%uture
(rogressive
0%uture
/ontinuous1
&m,eratives
&nchoative
Verbs
&ntransitive
Verbs
&rregular
Verbs
2in.ing Verb
'ain Verbs
'iddle Verbs
'ood
3on-%inite
Verbs
(artici,les
(ast
(artici,les
(ast (erfect
(ast (erfect
(rogressive
0(ast (erfect
/ontinuous1
(ast
(rogressive
0(ast
/ontinuous1
(ast *im,le
0*im,le (ast1
(ast *im,le
Tense
(erfect
Qi!!es
Beginner:
m, re 4 &s
u!iliar"
Verbs
$on't 4
$oesn't
Have or Has
&m,eratives
3eed 4
3eedn't
*he's 5 is or
has6
*im,le or
(rogressive6
There is or
There are
There &s or
There re 6
7as or 7ere
7ill or 7ould
Intermediate:
/ausative
3eedn't 4
$on't 3eed
Advanced:
)efle!ive
Verbs
Tenses
Transitive 4
&ntransitive
Verbs
Verb T",es
Verbs of
seeing

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Definition:
Ergative verbs are found in sentences
where the verb affects the subject:
The sun melted the butter.
Here, we have a sentence with a
standard subject, a transitive verb and a
direct object.
The butter melted.
Here, the subject was the object of the
original sentence. The butter didn't melt
itself- it required the heat of the sun.
This is an ergative verb use, where the
subject of the intransitive form of the
verb would be the object of the
transitive form of the verb.
See Also: u!iliar" Verb# $itransitive Verb#
$"namic Verb# %inite Verb# &nchoative Verb#
&ntransitive Verb# &rregular Verb# 'iddle
Verb# 'odal Verb# (erformative Verb#
)egular Verb# *tative Verb# Transitive Verb#
Verbs# Verb +rou,# Verb (hrase# 'ain Verb#
(arts of *,eech
'Ergative Verbs' - Related
Links
Grammar Topic: Verbs and Tenses
-rowse the following lin.s to other
content related to 'Ergative Verbs'
from the 'Verbs and Tenses' grammar
categor":
Glossary Entries
ctive
gents
mbitransitive
Verbs
s,ect
u!iliar"
Verbs
-ase %orm
/ausative
Verbs
/ontinuous
Verbs
/o,ula Verbs
$eclarative
'ood
$itransitive
Verbs
$"namic
Verbs
Em,hatic
%orms
%inite Verbs
%uture (erfect
%uture (erfect
(rogressive
0%uture
(erfect
/ontinuous1
%uture
(rogressive
0%uture
/ontinuous1
&m,eratives
&nchoative
Verbs
&ntransitive
Verbs
&rregular
Verbs
2in.ing Verb
'ain Verbs
'iddle Verbs
'ood
3on-%inite
Verbs
(artici,les
(ast
(artici,les
(ast (erfect
(ast (erfect
(rogressive
0(ast (erfect
/ontinuous1
(ast
(rogressive
0(ast
/ontinuous1
(ast *im,le
0*im,le (ast1
(ast *im,le
Tense
(erfect
Qi!!es
Beginner:
m, re 4 &s
u!iliar"
Verbs
$on't 4
$oesn't
Have or Has
&m,eratives
3eed 4
3eedn't
*he's 5 is or
has6
*im,le or
(rogressive6
There is or
There are
There &s or
There re 6
7as or 7ere
7ill or 7ould
Intermediate:
/ausative
3eedn't 4
$on't 3eed
Advanced:
)efle!ive
Verbs
Tenses
Transitive 4
&ntransitive
Verbs
Verb T",es
Verbs of
seeing