Collins Cobuild

Unit 55
Ergative verbs
Main points
Ergative verbs are both transitive and intransitive. The object of the
transitive use is the subject of the intransitive use, for example: ‘I
opened the door’; ‘The door opened’.
A few verbs are only ergative with particular nouns.
A few of these verbs need an adverbial when they are used without
an object.
1
Some verbs can be used as transitive verbs to focus on the person who
performs  an  action,  and  as  intransitive  verbs  to  focus  on  the  thing
affected by the action.
When I opened the door, standing there was Laverne.
Suddenly the door opened.
Note that the object of the transitive verb, in this case ‘the door’, is the
subject of the intransitive verb. Verbs like these are called ‘ergative’
verbs.
2
Ergative verbs often refer to:
• changes

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begin
break
change
crack
dry
end
finish
grow
improve
increase
slow
start
stop
tear
I broke the glass.
The glass broke all over the floor.
The driver stopped the car.
A big car stopped.
• cooking
bake boil
cook defrost fry melt
roast simmer
I’ve boiled an egg.
The porridge is boiling.
I’m cooking spaghetti.
The rice is cooking.
• position or movement
balance
close drop
move open
rest
rock shake stand turn
She rested her head on his shoulder.
Her head rested on the table.
An explosion shook the hotel.
The whole room shook.

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• vehicles
back crash drive fly reverse run sail
He had crashed the car twice.
Her car crashed into a tree.
She sailed her yacht round the world.
The ship sailed on Monday.
3
 Some  verbs  can  be  used  in  these  two  ways  only  with  a  small  set  of
nouns. For example, you can say ‘He fired a gun’ or ‘The gun fired’.
You  can  do  the  same  with  other  words  referring  to  types  of  gun,
‘cannon’, ‘pistol’, or ‘rifle’. However, although you can say ‘He fired a
bullet’, you cannot say ‘The bullet fired’.
catch: belt, cloth, clothing, dress, shirt,
trousers
fire: cannon, gun, pistol, rifle
play: guitar, music, piano, violin
ring: alarm, bell
show: anger, disappointment, emotions,
fear, joy
sound: alarm, bell, horn
I caught my dress on the fence.
My tights caught on a nail.
A car was sounding its horn.
A horn sounded in the night.
4
A few verbs can be used in both ways, but need an adverbial when
they are used without an object.

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clean
freeze
handle
mark
polish
sell
stain
wash
He sells books.
This book is selling well.
She had handled a machine gun.
This car handles very nicely.

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