Ditransitive verbs require both a direct and indirect object, while monotransitive verbs only require a direct object and intransitive verbs require no object. The valence of a verb indicates how many objects are needed for the sentence to make sense. Some verbs can have different valences depending on the sentence. Impersonal verbs have zero valence and don’t require a subject or object.
A ditransitive verb is a type of verb that requires both a direct object and an indirect object in the sentence with it for the meaning of the sentence to be complete. This type of verb is typically used when something is given or exchanged between two or more parties, as the something is the direct object and the recipient is the indirect object. An example of a ditransitive verb is “to give” in the sentence “The man gave the cat a fish”. This is in contrast to monotransitive verbs, which require only a direct object, and intransitive verbs which require no object.
How verbs interact with their objects is referred to as the “valence” of the verb, which is a value that indicates how many objects are needed for the use of the verb to make sense. A valence of one refers to an intransitive verb, which is a verb that doesn’t require any kind of object. In the sentence “The cat slept,” the verb “to sleep” acts as an intransitive verb since there is only one subject, “The cat,” and one predicate or verb, “slept.” While the cat may have slept on something, this isn’t necessary for the sentence to have full meaning.
This is in contrast to a monotransitive verb, which has valence two and indicates a verb that requires a direct object. In the sentence “I bought a bag,” the verb “to buy” is monotransitive because it requires a direct object that has been purchased. “I” is the subject of the sentence and “bought” is the verb, while “a bag” acts as a direct object indicating the object on which the subject performed the action of the verb.
A ditransitive verb, which has valence three, is a verb that requires both a direct object and an indirect object for the sentence to be complete and make total sense. An example of a ditransitive verb is the word “give” in a sentence such as “The man gave the cat a fish”. In this sentence, “The man” is now the subject of the sentence and “have” is the ditransitive verb. The direct object in the sentence is still ‘a fish’ as this is the thing being given, and now ‘the cat’ has become the indirect object, receiving the action of the sentence.
Some verbs can have different valences and act as an intransitive, monotransitive or ditransitive verb depending on its usage in a particular sentence. The verb “gave” can be used in a theoretical or philosophical sense, such as “He gave” to indicate the general idea of giving; can only request a direct object in a sentence such as “he gave all he could”; or become a ditransitive verb in a statement like “he gave the man a hat”. There are also some impersonal verbs that can have zero valence, that don’t require a subject or any object, such as weather states like “It’s raining.”
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