Plugtop!

[BS3036]

intransitive verb

On the basis that a transitive verb is one with a direct object, I think your use of the word is not correct.

plugging in the vacuum cleaner has plugging in as the phrasal verb with the direct object the vacuum cleaner.

plug A into B has plug as a verb and A as the direct object.

 

[JohnW2]

On the basis that a transitive verb is one with a direct object, I think your use of the word is not correct. .... plugging in the vacuum cleaner has plugging in as the phrasal verb with the direct object the vacuum cleaner. ... plug A into B has plug as a verb and A as the direct object.

I wouldn't (couldn't ) claim to be any linguistic authority, so I may well have got my (linguistic) terminology wrong.

Having said that, I certainly agree with your definition of a transitive verb but, although I'm not sure what part of speech I thought it was, I was not thinking of the vacuum cleaner as being the direct object of 'plugging in'! Also, I don't know how broad the definition of 'plugging in' can be but, as I've said, to me it implies inserting something into something else (most commonly inserting a plug into a socket) - which would be a little difficult if the first 'something' were a caravan

Anyway, whatever may be the grammar of the situation, my point was that "plug A into B" explicitly indicates what will be plugged into what, whereas "plug in the vacuum cleaner" is much more vague, and could even refer to, say, 'plugging the vacuum cleaner's hose" into one of those 'close storage bags' to deflate it!

Kind Regards, John

 

[JohnW2]

Dare I mention hermaphroditic connectors that have both pins and receptacles on both "socket" and "plug"

'Dare' if you wish, but note that eric beat you to it in post #44

Kind Regards, John

 

[bernardgreen]

True the Earth pin has had a gender re-alignment ( aka it has had a sex change ) but "live" circuits are not mixed.

 

[JohnW2]

True the Earth pin has had a gender re-alignment ( aka it has had a sex change ) but "live" circuits are not mixed.

True - but, returning to the issue, would you like to offer an opinion as to which (if either!) is the 'plug' and which (if either!) is the 'socket' - and why?

Kind Regards, John

 

[bernardgreen]

No, no opinion as to which is which.