Fun with … Direct and Indirect Objects

A Direct Object… Is a noun or pronoun that tells who or what receives the action of a verb or shows the result of an action.

How to Find a Direct Object 1. Find action verb – if it is a linking verb, there is no direct object!! 2. Then ask “whom?” or “what?” after the action verb One of the questions will be answered if there is a direct object. Example: Mary sang a song. 1. The action is “sang.” 2. Sang what? The second question is answered. The answer “song” is my direct object.

Try another one: Example: What a scary movie we saw! 1. The action verb is “saw.” 2. Saw what? We saw a “movie”. Movie receives the action of the verb. Example: Lucy visited me. 1. The action verb is “visited.” 2. Whom did she visit? “me”

How to Find a Direct Object Direct objects can also be compound. If they are compound, there will be a conjunction such as “and,” “but,” or “or” connecting the two compounds. Example: We saw Mary and Mark at the zoo. 1. The action verb is “saw.” 2. Saw who? The first question is answered. That means that both Mary & Mark are the direct objects.

How to find Direct Objects In a question, sentence parts are inverted. (That means they are not in their usual location.) In a question, one of two things may happen: –1. The direct object may appear before the verb. –2. The direct object may be an interrogative pronoun that takes the place of the actual direct object. (The interrogative pronouns are who, whom, whose, which, and what.)

How to Find Direct Objects Example: DO HV S MV Which coat did you bring to school? 1. The action verb is did bring. 2. Did bring who? Did bring what? The answer is coat; therefore it is the direct object.

On to Indirect Objects …

Indirect Objects… Noun or pronoun that appears in sentences with a direct object. An indirect object tells to whom or to what (or for whom or for what) the action of a verb is done.

How to Find an Indirect Object 1. Find the action verb 2. Ask “whom?” or “what?” after the action verb. That will give you the direct object. 3.Then ask “to whom” or “for whom” after the direct object and that will give you the indirect object. 4. You MUST have a direct object to have an indirect object!! 5. If you get answers to both questions then you have found both a direct object and an indirect object. 6. The sentence pattern will always be (S – V- IO- DO.)

How to find an Indirect Object Example: Mom gave me a cookie. 1. The action verb is “gave.” 2. Gave what? “cookie”. That is your direct object. 3. To whom did she give it? “me”. That means that “me” is the indirect object.

How to Find an Indirect Object Another example: Lucy brought her a present. 1. The action verb is brought. 2. Brought what? a present – that is your direct object. 3. For whom did she buy it? Her – that is your indirect object.

Practice Sentences – Identify the direct & indirect objects in the following sentences. Not all sentences will have both!!! 1.He gave Icarus careful instructions not to fly too near the sun. 2.People borrow millions of books from libraries every year. 3.However, Icarus soon forgot his father’s advice. 4.My brother made Mom a birthday cake. 5.Bill cracked three eggs into a bowl. 6.Natalie knitted her friend a sweater.