ABSTRACT

The categories of transitivity and voice have strong connections. They explain the relationships between verb, object and subject in sentences. In both Russian and English verbs are either transitive or intransitive. In a sentence, a transitive verb must be followed by a direct object. The direct object clarifies the transitive verb. If a transitive verb is without a direct object in a sentence, the idea of the sentence sounds incomplete or unclear. In a sentence, an intransitive verb cannot take a direct object. If an intransitive verb needs any clarification it must be followed by a phrase with a preposition. In both Russian and English, there are two voices: active and passive. The active voice confirms that the subject of the sentence acts itself and explains how. Only transitive verbs that take a direct object can have passive voice. The direct object of an active construction becomes the subject of a passive construction.