Intransitive: When "ran" describes an action without a direct object, it's intransitive.
* Example: "The dog ran quickly." (The dog is performing the action of running, but there's no object receiving the action.)
Transitive: When "ran" describes an action that directly affects an object, it's transitive. However, this is often used with a different verb form, like "run."
* Example: "She ran the marathon." (The marathon is the object being affected by the action of running.)
Note: The past participle of "run" (which is also "run") can act as an adjective in some cases, further blurring the lines:
* Example: "The run down house was in need of repair." (The word "run" describes the state of the house, not a direct action).
It's important to understand the context of the sentence to determine whether "ran" is functioning as a transitive or intransitive verb.