Transitive and intransitive verbs are both categorized as action verbs, such as jumping, walking, yelling or playing. The difference between the two is that a transitive verb has a direct object that receives the action from the verb, while an intransitive does not contain a direct object. A transitive verb is incomplete if it does not contain a direct object, while intransitive verbs cannot take a direct object, but are frequently paired with prepositional phrases.
Transitive verbs contain direct objects that receive the action of the verb. For example, in the sentence "I caught the football," "caught" is transitive because the football is the direct object receiving the action; it is being caught. Another example: "The child broke the glass," is transitive because the direct object, the glass, is receiving the action of being broke by the child. Notice that when a transitive verb does not contain a direct object it is an incomplete sentence that is neither transitive nor intransitive. For instance, "The school named" would not be transitive because you do not know what the school named; the school named by itself is an incomplete thought.
Intransitive verbs cannot take on a direct object. For example, "The child cried" is an example of a sentence containing an intransitive verb. "Cried" is the action verb and it does not need a direct object to receive the action. Intransitive verbs can often be paired with prepositional phrases, making it confusing for some to identify them correctly. For example, "I walked to the school yesterday" is a sentence that contains the intransitive verb "walked." "To the school" is a prepositional phrase and "yesterday" is an adverb that tells when. There is no direct object receiving the action of "walked."
Transitive and intransitive verbs cannot be identified by their form alone, they must be considered within the context of a sentence. Because they are both action verbs, their usage is the only way to differentiate between the two. To identify a transitive verb you must first identify a direct object. Ask yourself what received that action after reading a sentence. For example, after reading the sentence "I hit the ball," ask yourself what "I" hit. If there is a direct object, the verb is transitive. To identify Intransitive verbs, look for action verbs that are followed by prepositional phrases and adverbs, such as "I ran from the mall last night." "From the mall" would be a prepositional phrase and "last night" is an adverb that tells when.