Ergative verbs

Ergative verbs
Ergative verbs
1. Ergative verbs are both transitive and intransitive:

Peter closed the door Transitive: N + V + N
The door closed Intransitive: N + V
I boiled a pan of water Transitive: N + V + N
The pan boiled Intransitive: N + V
2. Common ergative verbs are:
• begin
• break
• change
• close
• drop
• crack
• dry
• end
• finish
• grow
• improve
• increase
• move
• open
• shake
• start
• stop
• tear
• turn
I broke the glass.
I dropped the glass and it broke.
The referee blew his whistle and started the match.
The match started at 2.30.
We grew some tasty potatoes.
The potatoes were growing well.
The wind shook the trees.
The trees shook in the wind.
3. Many verbs to do with cooking are ergative verbs:
• bake
• boil
• cook
• defrost
• freeze
• melt
• roast
You should roast the meat at 200 degrees centigrade.
The meat was roasting in a hot oven.
I always defrost meat before I cook it.
I am waiting for the meat to defrost.
Melt the chocolate and pour it over the ice cream.
The chocolate was melting in a pan.
4. Verbs to do with vehicles are often ergative:
• back
• crash
• drive
• fly
• reverse
• run
• sail
• start
• stop
I’m learning to fly a plane.
The plane flew at twice the speed of sound.
He crashed his car into a tree.
His car crashed into a tree.

5. We use some ergative verbs with only a few nouns:
• catch: dress, coat, clothes, trousers etc.
• fire : Gun, pistol, rifle, rocket.
• play: guitar, music, piano, violin, CD, DVD etc.
• ring: bell, alarm
She caught her dress on a nail.
Her dress caught on a nail.
He fired a pistol to start the race.
A pistol fired to start the race.