Introduction chapter I. Verb and its study

(Cronin)
In different contexts the same verb can be used as a notional verb and an auxiliary verb or a link verb:
... She turned her head sullenly away from me. (Collins) (no­tional verb)
She... Turned deadly pale. (Collins) (link verb) no one was there to meet him. (Lindsay) (notional verb) she was not a ten-year-old girl any more... (Dreiser) (link verb)
She was constantly complaining of being lonely. (Shaw) (auxi­liary verb)
There is a special group of verbs which cannot be used without additional words, though they have a meaning of their own. These are modal verbs such as can, may, must, ought, etc.
A slow swell of feeling choked the little boy's heart. Though he could not, dared not question the consul's strict command, its purpose lay beyond his comprehension. (Cronin) "we ought to have stayed in Italy," he said. "we ought never to have come back to Manderley." (du Maurier)
The same verb in different contexts can be modal and auxiliary.
I crouched against the wall of the gallery so that I should not be seen. (du Maurier) (auxiliary verb)
I don't honestly think lady Crowan was exaggerating when she
Said something should be done in your honour. (du Maurier)
(modal verb)
I had no idea she would do that. (du maurier) (auxiliary verb)
He needed a cook. Why couldn't she apply for the job? But Morris would not hear of it. (Richard) (modal verb)
Transitive and intransitive verbs
Verbs can also be classified from the point of view of their ability of taking objects. In accord with this we distinguish two types of verbs: tran­sitive and intransitive. The former type of verbs is divided into two:

1. 
   Verbs which are combined with direct object: to have a book to find the address
   
2. 
   Verbs which take prepositional objects: to wait for, to look at, talk about, depend on…
   

To the latter type the following verbs are referred:
A) verbs expressing state: be, exist, live, sleep, die …
B) verbs of motion: go, come, run, arrive, travel …

3. 
   Verbs expressing the position in space: lie, sit, stand ...
   

As has been told above in actual research work or in describing linguistic phenomena we do not always find hard-and-fast lines separating one phe­nomenon from the other. In many cases we come across an intermediate stra­tum. We find such stratum between transitive and intransitive verbs which is called causative verbs, verbs intransitive in their origin, but sometimes used as transitive: to fly a kite, to sail a ship, to nod approval ...
The same is found in the construction "cognate object": to live a long life, to die the death of a hero ...
As has been stated above a verb can be transitive and intransitive. Transitive verbs can take a direct object, i. E. They express an action which passes on to a person or thing directly. Here belong such verbs as to take, to give, to send, to make, to see, to show, to bring, to love etc.
Jon had never loved her so much as in that minute which seemed to falsify fleur's fears and to release his soul. (Galsworthy) youth only recognizes age by fits and starts. Jon, for one, had never really seen his father's age till he came back from spain. (Galsworthy)
There are some transitive verbs which are hardly ever used without a direct object, such as to take, to make, to give, to have.
Arthur signed the receipt, took his papers and went out in dead silence. (Voynich)there are other verbs which can be used either with or without a direct object, such as to read, to write, to hear, to see.
On Friday night about eleven he had packed his bag and was leaning out of his window... When he heard a tiny sound, as of a finger-nail, tapping on his door. (Galsworthy) the starch, as he soon heard, was valued at ten dollars a barrel and it only brought six. (Dreiser)
Intransitive verbs cannot take a direct object. Here belong such ^verbs as to stand, to sleep, to laugh, to think, to lie, to swim.
She shrank slowly away from him, and stood quite still. (Voynich)
There are verbs whose primary meaning is transitive and whose secondary meaning is intransitive. Here belong such verbs as to sell, to read, to add, to act, etc.
This book sells well.
Though Dora tried hard the figures would not add.
There are verbs whose primary meaning is intransitive and whose secondary meaning is transitive. Here belong such verbs as to work, to starve, to walk, to run, etc.
For that man, I've been running people through the front line!
(Heym)
The stream which worked the mill came bubbling down in a Dozen rivulets. (Galsworthy).
In these examples the verbs are used in a causative meaning, I. E. The person or thing denoted by the object is made to perform the action denoted by the verb.
There are verbs which in different contexts can be transitive or intransitive. As far as modern English is concerned, it is impossible to say which meaning is primary and which is secondary. Here belong such verbs as to open, to move, to turn, to change, to drop, etc.
The woman opened the door at once almost breathlessly.
(hardy)
While she stood hesitating, the door opened, and an old man
Came forth shading a candle with one hand. (hardy)