"Change of State" (Ergative) Verbs

* PASSIVE * PRACTICE * MORE PRACTICE

SOME VERBS can be used to describe either "stage" of a kind of "chain reaction" in which an agent acts upon something to cause it to change in some way.

Some examples are:

The sun caused the snow to melt.
The sun melted
the snow
  = The snow was melted (by the sun.)
 
= The snow
melted.  

Bobby caused the window to break.
Bobby broke
the window
  = The window was broken (by Bobby.)
 
= The window
broke..  

The storekeeper caused the prices to increase.
The storekeeper increased
the prices
  = The prices were increased (by the storekeeper)
 
= The prices
increased..  

The quarterback caused the ball to drop.
The quarterback dropped
the ball
  = The ball was dropped (by the quarterback)
 
= The ball
dropped..  

The wind caused Amanda's hair to blow in her face.
The wind blew
her hair (in her face.)
  = Her hair was blown in her face (by the wind.)
 
= Her hair
blew in her face.  

Farmer Brown caused corn to grow.
Farmer Brown grew
corn.
  = Corn was grown (by Farmer Brown.)
 
= Corn
grew ..  

In all of these cases, the same basic action can be described using the same subject (the "middle" of the chain) and either an active verb or a passive verb. ( If "the snow melted" or "the snow was melted," the snow became water.) The choice depends on whether the speaker wants to refer back to the agent of the change (the sun). (This is very different from most verbs. There is a BIG difference between "The animal ate" and "The animal was eaten"!.)

Other verbs can only describe half of this kind of change, because they must or cannot have direct objects. For example:

The quarterback caused the ball to FALL = The ball fell. (intransitive)
          BUT NOT: The quarterback fell the ball or The ball was fallen by the QB.)
transitive: The quarterback DROPPED the ball. The ball was dropped (by the QB.)
or intransitive: The ball dropped.

Oswald caused Kennedy to DIE. = Kennedy died. (intransitive)
          BUT NOT Oswald died Kennedy , or Kennedy was died .)
transitive: Oswald KILLED Kennedy. Kennedy was killed by Oswald (NOT: Kennedy killed .)

The shopkeeper caused the prices to RISE. = The prices rose (intransitive)
          BUT NOT The shopkeeper rose the prices . or The prices were risen .
transitive: The shopkeeper RAISED the prices. (NOT: The prices raised .)

The tires caused an accident to HAPPEN. = An accident happened. (intransitive)
          BUT NOT: The tires happened an accident . or An accident was happened .

The food caused the boy to GROW = The boy grew. (intransitive)
          BUT NOT The food grew the boy . or The boy was grown by the food .)

Part of learning the meaning of a verb is learning whether it can or must be followed by a direct object -- whether it can be transitive, intransitive, or both.

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Ann Salzmann
Intensive English Institute
University of Illinois