Verbs that express action without objects are called intransitive verbs. For example: The catcher shrugged . The audience chuckled . In these sentences, the two verb…s (shrug and chuckle) do not need direct objects to help complete their meanings. It is clear what the verb actions mean. They both are used intransitively in these examples. Defalcate is also an intransitive verb. Its definition is: "To misuse funds; embezzle." --American Heritage Dictionary (Good dictionaries will tell you if verbs are transitive or intransitive). So by following a similar form, you can create the following sentences: The bank's money was defalcated. --Meaning that its money was embezzled. The bank's money was defalcated at ten o'clock this morning. The prepositional phrase "at ten o'clock this morning" modifies the verb defalcated. It tells us WHEN the action happened. The prepositional phrase is not necessary to complete the verb's meaning (defalcate). Verbs that requires direct objects to complete a sentence are called transitive. A simple example is the verb HIT. For example: Lightning hit the tree. Hit is a transitive verb because without its direct object (tree) the sentence could not express a complete thought or meaning. The car hit. (Incomplete thought) --Yeah, what did the car hit? Come on, finish it... The car hit the tree. (the verb hit is transitive in this sentence) I was hit. (the verb hit is intransitive in this sentence--its meaning is clear) It's important to understand that most English verbs can be both transitive and intransitive. Use a good dictionary to help you understand each meaning and each use. (MORE)