A transitive action verb MUST have a direct object. Which option states this clearly?

• A. MUST have a direct object
• B. MAY have a direct object
• C. Never has a direct object
• D. Always expresses state of being

Answer: (A)

Transitive action verbs require a direct object to complete their meaning. Without an object, the action feels incomplete because someone or something is needed to receive the action. Saying that a transitive verb MUST have a direct object captures this requirement exactly. For example, in “kick the ball,” the object “ball” completes the thought; just saying “kick” leaves the action without a receiver.

The statement that must have a direct object is the precise one. Saying it may have a direct object would imply the object isn’t always needed, which isn’t true for verbs that are used transitively. Saying a transitive verb never has a direct object contradicts its defining feature, and claiming it always expresses a state of being confuses it with linking or stative verbs, not action verbs that take objects.