原則として他動詞として用いられる動詞が，目的語と伴わないケースがままある．文脈から目的語が明らかな場合が多いが，その用法がごく普通になると，もはや「原則として他動詞」というレベルを超えて「自動詞用法もあり」へ移行したととらえるほうが妥当な場合もあるだろう．この辺りは常に流動的である．
Quirk （§10.4) より，典型的に他動詞として用いられる動詞において目的語が省略される場合の4タイプを挙げよう．
(1) A specific object is recoverable from the preceding linguistic context:
A: Show me your essay. B: I'll show you later.
Let's do the dishes. I'll wash and you dry.
In such instances the verb may be analysed as genuinely transitive with ellipsis of the direct object.
(2) A specific object is understood from the situational context:
Keep off [sign on grass]
Shake well before use.
Watch!
Don't touch.
The tie doesn't fit.
(3) A specific reflexive object is understood when the verb allows such an object . . . .:
I'm shaving.
They're dressing.
Some verbs allow omission of either a reflexive or a nonreflexive object: She's washing (herself or the clothes).
(4) A nonspecific object is semantically entailed . . .:
Are you eating again?
Do you drink?
He teaches.
I don't want to catch you smoking again.
They can't spell.
I can't come now, because I'm cleaning.
I don't want to read.
The range of understood nonspecific objects is restricted with some verbs when they are used intransitively. For example, Do you drink? refers to the drinking of alcoholic drinks, I'm cleaning refers to domestic cleaning and not (say) to cleaning teeth or cleaning a pipe, and to catch you smoking again normally excludes (say) smoking fish.
このような振る舞いを示す本来的な他動詞には，きわめて日常的な語が多いことに注意したい．日常的であればこそ，「読む」といったら何を読むのが典型的なのか，「飲む」といったら何を飲むのが典型的なのかという，社会的なフレームやスクリプトが，同じ言語共同体内で自明のものとして共有されているからだろう．逆に言えば，どんな目的語が省略されているかの調査を通じて，当該社会のプロトタイプ的な行動をあぶり出せることになるかもしれない．
・ Quirk, Randolph, Sidney Greenbaum, Geoffrey Leech, and Jan Svartvik. A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language. London: Longman, 1985.
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