97. The same verb, however, may be complete or incomplete, according to the way in which it is used. For example:
- The corn grows.
- The farmer grows corn.
In the sentence, Corn grows, grows is a complete verb. You could not say The corn grows—what? for it does not grow anything. It merely grows, and the verb grows in this sense is a complete verb. But in the sentence, The farmer grows corn, you are using the verb grows in a slightly different sense. It is an incomplete verb, for you do not mean, The farmer grows, but you mean that the farmer grows CORN.
Exercise 1
In the following sentences, underscore the complete verbs with one line, the incomplete with two lines. Ask the question what? after each verb to determine whether it is complete or incomplete.
- He returned today.
- He returned the book.
- The rose smells sweet.
- He smelled the rose.
- The trees shake in the wind.
- The wind shakes the trees.
- The ship plows through the waves.
- The farmer plows the field.
- The birds sing sweetly.
- They sang the Marseillaise.
- He worries over the matter.
- The matters worry him.
- The table feels rough.
- He feels the rough surface.
- It tastes bitter.
- He tasted the bitter dregs.
Exercise 2
Use the following verbs in sentences as both complete and incomplete verbs, as for example, The snow melts. The sun melts the snow.
- melts
- write
- stopped
- answer
- rings
- fall
- see
- strike