Source: britishcouncil.

org
Wyróżniamy takie rodzaje zdania:

Peter closed the door.

The door closed.

Transitive: N + V + N
Intransitive: N + V

Common ergative verbs are:

begin drop improve

start
break dry increase
stop
change end move
tear
close finish open
turn
crack grow shake

I broke the glass.

I dropped the glass and it broke.
The referee started the match.
The match started at 2.30.
We grew some tasty potatoes.
The potatoes were growing well.
The wind shook the trees.
The trees shook in the wind.

Czasowniki związane z gotowaniem są często ergatywne:

You should roast the meat at 200 degrees.

The meat was roasting in a hot oven.
 Source: britishcouncil.org
I always defrost meat before I cook it.
I am waiting for the meat to defrost.
Melt the chocolate and pour it over the ice cream.
The chocolate was melting in a pan.

Czasowniki związane z pojazdami są często ergatywne

back
fly run start
crash
reverse sail stop
drive

Niektóre czasowniki są ergatywne tylko z kilkoma rzeczownikami:

catch: dress, coat, clothes, trousers, etc.

fire: gun, pistol, rifle, rocket, etc.

play: music, guitar, piano, CD, DVD, etc.

ring: bell, alarm, etc.

She caught her dress on a nail.

Her dress caught on a nail.
He fired a pistol to start the race.
A pistol fired to start the race.
Shall we play some music?
Some music played in the background.
 Source: britishcouncil.org

• The technician boiled the water. → The water boiled.

• The subject rang the bell. → The bell rang.
• The pilot flew the plane. → The plane flew
• The student broke the machine. → The machine broke
• The technician varies the volume. → The volume varies.   
• The government closed the factory. → The factory closed.
• The tutor enrolled him on a two year course. → He enrolled on a two year course.

Zadanie:

Fill in the blanks in the second sentence in each group, keeping the same meaning as the
first sentence.
1. Humans accelerated tropical deforestation markedly during the 1980s.
2. Tropical deforestation ________ markedly during the 1980s.
3. The 34 per cent overall increase in Wimbledon was a clear indication that people were
broadening their interest in tennis.
4. The 34 per cent overall increase in Wimbledon was a clear indication that tennis
________ ________its interest.
5. Sport offers spontaneity which, when journalists combines it with more sophisticated
technology, allows a viewer to watch a game from many different angles.
6. Sport offers spontaneity which, when it ________ with more sophisticated technology,
allows a viewer to watch a game from many different angles.
7. A trust is where a man legally transfers land to another, with an understanding that the
transferee will hold it for the benefit of the former.
8. A trust is where land legally ________ from one man to another, with an understand-
ing that the transferee will hold it for the benefit of the former.
9. Similarly, the muscles will not grow in length unless they are attached to tendons and
bones so that as the body lengthens the bones, it stretches them.
10. Similarly, the muscles will not grow in length unless they are attached to tendons and
bones so that as the bones ________, they ________.
 Source: britishcouncil.org
11. The crystallization of enzymes occurs by a method called electrophoresis in which
scientists separate molecules according to their size and their electric charge.
12. The crystallization of enzymes occurs by a method called electrophoresis which
________ molecules according to their size and their electric charge.
13. The body multiplies the cells multiply by dividing them and this usually requires cell
growth, the cells doubling in size before dividing in two.
14. Cells ________ by dividing and this usually requires cell growth, the cells doubling
in size before dividing in two.
15. The government increased road tax in June.
16. Road tax ________ in June.