Why the Fed Can't "Grow" the Economy: Proper Use of Intransitives

Can the Fed “grow the economy”?

Can a Greek default “collapse” the EU?

Can the President “evolve a solution” 

to our unemployment problem? 

W. H. has expressed his consternation about the misuse of certain intransitive verbs. Since Ms. Picky feels his pain and is similarly concerned, she will be delighted to take up the subject in this post.

First, however, she would like to establish the distinction between verbs’ being transitive and intransitive.

Transitives and Intransitives

A transitive verb is one that requires an object, e.g., “fix.” One must fix something; one cannot simply fix. Some examples of transitive verbs used in sentences are: 

The batter hit the ball.

The rule prohibits gifts.

Elspeth hung the picture.

An intransitive verb is one that is complete in itself and does not require an object. Some examples of intransitive verbs used in sentences are:

Something happened.

The goldfish died.

The building collapsed.

A few verbs can legitimately be used as either transitive or intransitive:

Drive as intransitive: “In spite of the bumpy road, she drove on.”

Drive as transitive: “He drove an Aston-Martin.”

But most cannot. 

Grow cannot be used as transitive, unless it is being used specific to growing crops.

Collapse cannot be used as transitive, because it comes from the Latin collapsus, the past participle of collabi, and means to fall or slide. One cannot fall or slide something.

Evolve cannot be used as transitive, because it comes from the Latin evolvere, and means to develop or unfold, in the sense of a bud whose petals unfold as it develops into a blossom. The action comes from within the bud and cannot come from anyone or anything outside itself. 

So . . .


The economy can grow (but even the beleaguered Mr. Bernanke cannot grow it). . . . The EU might be allowed to collapse because of a Greek default (but Greece cannot collapse it). . . . And a solution to our unemployment problem can evolve if we solve our fiscal problems (but the President cannot evolve it). 

And no matter whether you’re a Republican or a Democrat, a Tea Party-er or a Wall-Street Occupier—Ms. Picky will not support you if you use your intransitive verbs incorrectly!

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Journalism Wall of Shame

The Journalism Wall of Shame displays errors in grammar, punctuation, or language that have appeared recently in the press. Submissions are welcome. Please include the publication's name and date, the story title, and the reporter's name. The publication of these errors in no way places blame for them on a particular person. Sometimes it is the reporter, sometimes the editor, sometimes the headline writer, but—somewhere in the system—somebody should have known better.

This week, Ms. Picky once again netted two citations in the same column. Here they are:

“Many in the press, including yours truly, surmised the coffee klatch [sic] was a publicity stunt, designed to create the impression of a detente between the two feuding companies.

“. . . Google better steel itself in for a long battle ahead.”

—“How Steve Jobs could haunt Android,” Therese Poletti’s Tech Tales, www.marketwatch.com, Oct. 25, 2011.

In the first sentence, Klatsch, of course is a German word and so should be accorded its German spelling, in spite of the fact that one sees the bastardized American spelling (without the s) more and more frequently.

In the second sentence, “Google better steel itself,” Ms. Poletti seems to have forgotten that sentences (unless one is taking poetic or literary license) require verbs. She should have said, “Google had better steel itself.”

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