Given two linear operators S and T acting between Hilbert spaces H and K , respectively K and H which satisfy the relationi.e., according to the classical terminology of M.H. Stone, which are adjoint to each other, we provide necessary and sufficient conditions in order to ensure the equality between the closure of S and the adjoint of T. A central role in our approach is played by the range of the operator matrixWe obtain, as consequences, several results characterizing skewadjointness, selfadjointness and essential selfadjointness. We improve, in particular, the celebrated selfadjointness criterion of J. von Neumann.