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English grammar

Verbs without a doer: the door opened, the book sells well

C1 · Advanced Verbs and time Questions 10

The rule

Some verbs can be used with an object (I opened the door) or without one, with the thing affected as the subject (The door opened). These are ergative verbs: open, close, break, change, increase, decrease, improve, grow, sell, start, stop, melt, spread, move, dry, sink, finish. They present a change as simply happening, without saying who caused it — which is why reports and news use them constantly (Sales rose, The meeting finished early, Prices increased). A related “middle” use describes a property with an adverb: This shirt washes easily, The novel reads well, The car handles beautifully. Not every verb allows this (The letter wrote quickly is impossible), and rise, fall, happen, occur have no passive at all.

Pattern

subject (the thing affected) + ergative verb: The door opened · Prices increased · subject + verb + adverb (a property): This shirt washes easily · The book sells well · rise / fall / happen: no passive

Examples

  1. The door opened and a tall woman walked in.

  2. Her first novel sold over a million copies.

  3. This fabric washes well and dries in an hour.

  4. Unemployment has fallen for the third month running.

Common mistakes

  • Wrong: The price was risen by five per cent.

    Right: The price rose by five per cent.

    rise has no passive; use it on its own.

  • Wrong: The glass broke itself.

    Right: The glass broke.

    An ergative verb needs no reflexive pronoun.

  • Wrong: The novel reads easy.

    Right: The novel reads easily.

    The middle construction takes an adverb, not an adjective.

Practice questions

Try each one yourself first, then open “Show answer” for the solution and the reason.

  1. 1Choose the correct sentence.

    1. The shop closes itself at six on Saturdays.
    2. The shop is closing it at six on Saturdays.
    3. The shop closes at six on Saturdays.
    4. The shop is closes at six on Saturdays.
    Show answer

    Answer: C The shop closes at six on Saturdays.

    close without an object: the shop is the subject.

  2. 2Choose the correct sentence.

    Who did the action?

    The ice melted in the sun.

    1. The sun was melted by the ice.
    2. The speaker melted it.
    3. A person melted it on purpose.
    4. Nobody — it happened by itself.
    Show answer

    Answer: D Nobody — it happened by itself.

    An ergative verb presents the change without an agent.

  3. 3Fill in the gap.

    Sales _____ by twelve per cent last year.

    1. were risen
    2. raised
    3. were rise
    4. rose
    Show answer

    Answer: D Sales rose by twelve per cent last year.

    rise is intransitive; raise needs an object.

  4. 4Change the sentence.

    Present it as something that simply happened.

    Someone broke the window during the night.

    1. The window broken during the night.
    2. The window broke during the night.
    3. The window was breaking itself during the night.
    4. The window has broke during the night.
    Show answer

    Answer: B The window broke during the night.

    Ergative break: the window is the subject, no doer.

  5. 5This sentence is wrong. Choose the fix.

    This jacket is washing easily in cold water.

    1. This jacket washes easy in cold water.
    2. This jacket is washed easy in cold water.
    3. This jacket washes easily in cold water.
    4. This jacket washing easily in cold water.
    Show answer

    Answer: C This jacket washes easily in cold water.

    A property: simple present, active, with an adverb.

  6. 6Choose the correct sentence.

    1. The meeting finishing earlier than expected.
    2. The meeting got finish earlier than expected.
    3. The meeting finished earlier than expected.
    4. The meeting was finished itself earlier than expected.
    Show answer

    Answer: C The meeting finished earlier than expected.

    finish can describe the event ending by itself.

  7. 7Choose the correct sentence.

    What does the sentence tell us?

    Her books sell well in Germany.

    1. Many people buy her books there.
    2. She lives in Germany.
    3. Her books are sold out everywhere.
    4. She sells her books herself.
    Show answer

    Answer: A Many people buy her books there.

    Middle sell well = many copies are bought.

  8. 8Put the words in the right order.

    The new model handles beautifully on wet roads

    Show answer

    Answer: The new model handles beautifully on wet roads.

    A property of the car, with no driver mentioned.

  9. 9Fill in the gap.

    The novel _____ easily; I finished it in two days.

    1. is reading
    2. is read
    3. read it
    4. reads
    Show answer

    Answer: D The novel reads easily; I finished it in two days.

    Middle read easily = it is easy to read.

  10. 10Choose the correct sentence.

    1. Prices increasing sharply after the announcement.
    2. Prices were increased themselves after the announcement.
    3. Prices got increase after the announcement.
    4. Prices increased sharply after the announcement.
    Show answer

    Answer: D Prices increased sharply after the announcement.

    increase with no object: the prices are the subject.

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