Direct object indirect object
Direct object
In grammar, a direct object is a noun or pronoun that receives the action of a transitive verb in a sentence. It answers the question “what” or “whom” after the verb.
For example, in the sentence “She bought a book,” the verb is “bought,” and “a book” is the direct object because it receives the action of the verb “bought.” Similarly, in the sentence “He ate an apple,” “an apple” is the direct object because it receives the action of the verb “ate.”
Here are a few more examples:
1. “They painted the fence.” (What did they paint? – The fence)
2. “I wrote a letter.” (What did I write? – A letter)
3. “She loves chocolate.” (What does she love? – Chocolate)
In each of these examples, the direct object follows the verb and directly receives the action described by the verb.
Direct object examples
Here are some examples of sentences with direct objects:
1. She kicked the ball. (What did she kick? – The ball)
2. They baked a cake. (What did they bake? – A cake)
3. He fixed the car. (What did he fix? – The car)
4. We watched a movie. (What did we watch? – A movie)
5. She read the book. (What did she read? – The book)
6. They bought new shoes. (What did they buy? – New shoes)
7. I ate an apple. (What did I eat? – An apple)
8. He painted the house. (What did he paint? – The house)
9. They planted flowers. (What did they plant? – Flowers)
10. She wrote a letter. (What did she write? – A letter)
In each of these sentences, the direct object receives the action of the verb and answers the question “what” or “whom” after the verb.
How to identify a direct object?
Finding a direct object in a sentence involves identifying the noun or pronoun that directly receives the action of the verb. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you find the direct object:
1. **Identify the Verb**: The first step is to locate the verb in the sentence. The verb is the action word that shows what the subject of the sentence is doing.
2. **Ask “What” or “Whom”**: Once you’ve identified the verb, ask yourself “what” or “whom” is receiving the action of the verb. This will help you determine what the direct object might be.
3. **Look for the Answer**: Scan the sentence to find the word or phrase that answers the question “what” or “whom” after the verb. This word or phrase is likely the direct object.
4. **Check for Transitivity**: Remember that not all verbs have direct objects. Only transitive verbs, which require an object to complete their meaning, will have direct objects. Intransitive verbs do not have direct objects.
5. **Confirm with Direct Object Test**: To confirm that you’ve correctly identified the direct object, you can perform a direct object test. This involves asking the question “verb + what/whom” after the sentence. If the word or phrase you identified as the direct object fits the answer to this question, then it is indeed the direct object.
Here’s an example:
Sentence: She kicked the ball.
1. **Identify the Verb**: The verb is “kicked.”
2. **Ask “What”**: Ask yourself, “what did she kick?”
3. **Look for the Answer**: “The ball” answers the question “what.”
4. **Check for Transitivity**: The verb “kicked” is transitive because it requires an object to complete its meaning.
5. **Confirm with Direct Object Test**: Ask the question “She kicked what?” The answer, “the ball,” confirms that it is the direct object.
By following these steps, you can effectively find the direct object in a sentence.
Direct object worksheet
Here’s a worksheet with 20 sentences for practicing identifying direct objects:
Instructions: Read each sentence carefully. Identify the direct object in each sentence and write it down. If the sentence does not have a direct object, write “N/A” (not applicable).
1. She baked a cake.
2. They planted flowers in the garden.
3. He caught the ball.
4. We watched a movie last night.
5. She wrote a letter to her friend.
6. They built a sandcastle on the beach.
7. I ate an apple for a snack.
8. He fixed the broken toy.
9. They read books at the library.
10. She painted a picture of a sunset.
11. We bought groceries at the store.
12. He kicked the soccer ball into the goal.
13. They fed the hungry birds in the park.
14. I made a sandwich for lunch.
15. She watered the plants in the garden.
16. They played music at the concert.
17. He cooked dinner for his family.
18. We cleaned the house on Saturday.
19. She found a lost kitten on the street.
20. They sang songs around the campfire.
Answers:
1. cake
2. flowers
3. ball
4. movie
5. letter
6. sandcastle
7. apple
8. toy
9. books
10. picture
11. groceries
12. ball
13. birds
14. sandwich
15. plants
16. music
17. dinner
18. house
19. kitten
20. songs
This worksheet provides practice in identifying direct objects in various sentence structures.
Indirect object
An indirect object is a noun or pronoun in a sentence that indicates to or for whom or what the action of the verb is performed. It answers the question “to whom” or “for whom” or “to what” or “for what” after the verb.
For example, in the sentence “She gave him a gift,” the verb is “gave,” and “him” is the indirect object because it receives the gift. “A gift” is the direct object because it is the thing being given.
Here are a few more examples:
1. She sent her friend a postcard. (To whom did she send? – Her friend)
2. He bought his mother flowers. (For whom did he buy? – His mother)
3. They made me a cake. (For whom did they make? – Me)
4. We told them the news. (To whom did we tell? – Them)
In each of these examples, the indirect object follows the verb and indicates the recipient or beneficiary of the action described by the verb.
Indirect object examples
Here are some examples of sentences with indirect objects:
1. She baked her sister a cake. (To whom did she bake? – Her sister)
2. He wrote his teacher a thank-you note. (To whom did he write? – His teacher)
3. They bought their children new toys. (For whom did they buy? – Their children)
4. We made our parents breakfast in bed. (For whom did we make? – Our parents)
5. She gave her friend a book. (To whom did she give? – Her friend)
6. He sent his girlfriend a bouquet of flowers. (To whom did he send? – His girlfriend)
7. They cooked their grandparents a delicious meal. (For whom did they cook? – Their grandparents)
8. We sang our teacher a song. (To whom did we sing? – Our teacher)
9. She told her brother a secret. (To whom did she tell? – Her brother)
10. He brought his colleagues coffee. (For whom did he bring? – His colleagues)
In each of these sentences, the indirect object indicates the recipient or beneficiary of the action described by the verb.
How to identify indirect object?
Identifying an indirect object in a sentence involves recognizing the recipient or beneficiary of the action described by the verb. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you identify indirect objects:
1. **Identify the Verb**: The first step is to locate the verb in the sentence. The verb is the action word that shows what the subject of the sentence is doing.
2. **Identify the Direct Object (if applicable)**: In some sentences, there may be a direct object, which is the noun or pronoun that directly receives the action of the verb. If there is a direct object, identify it first.
3. **Ask “To/For Whom” or “To/For What”**: Once you’ve identified the verb (and direct object, if applicable), ask yourself “to whom,” “for whom,” “to what,” or “for what” after the verb. This will help you determine what the indirect object might be.
4. **Look for the Answer**: Scan the sentence to find the noun or pronoun that answers the question “to whom,” “for whom,” “to what,” or “for what” after the verb. This word or phrase is likely the indirect object.
5. **Confirm with Indirect Object Test (Optional)**: To confirm that you’ve correctly identified the indirect object, you can perform an indirect object test. This involves rephrasing the sentence using “to” or “for” before the indirect object. If the rephrased sentence makes sense and retains the same meaning, then you’ve likely identified the indirect object correctly.
Here’s an example:
Sentence: She baked her sister a cake.
1. **Identify the Verb**: The verb is “baked.”
2. **Identify the Direct Object**: The direct object is “a cake.”
3. **Ask “To Whom”**: Ask yourself, “to whom did she bake?”
4. **Look for the Answer**: “Her sister” answers the question “to whom.”
5. **Confirm with Indirect Object Test**: Rephrase the sentence as “She baked a cake for her sister.” The rephrased sentence makes sense and retains the same meaning, confirming that “her sister” is the indirect object.
By following these steps, you can effectively identify the indirect object in a sentence.
Direct & indirect object worksheet.
Here’s a worksheet with 25 sentences for practicing identifying direct and indirect objects:
Instructions: Read each sentence carefully. Identify the direct object (DO) and indirect object (IO) in each sentence. If a sentence does not have a direct or indirect object, write “N/A” (not applicable).
1. She gave him a book.
2. He bought his mother flowers.
3. They made me a sandwich.
4. We told them the news.
5. She sent her friend a postcard.
6. He wrote his teacher a thank-you note.
7. They bought their children new toys.
8. We made our parents breakfast in bed.
9. She gave her friend a book.
10. He sent his girlfriend a bouquet of flowers.
11. They cooked their grandparents a delicious meal.
12. We sang our teacher a song.
13. She told her brother a secret.
14. He brought his colleagues coffee.
15. They showed their guests the garden.
16. We sent the neighbors cookies.
17. She baked her sister a cake.
18. He wrote his brother a letter.
19. They bought their dog a new collar.
20. We made our cat a cozy bed.
21. She read her daughter a bedtime story.
22. He told his friend a joke.
23. They gave their nephew a birthday present.
24. We showed our visitors around the city.
25. She cooked her husband a romantic dinner.
Answers:
1. DO: book, IO: him
2. DO: flowers, IO: his mother
3. DO: sandwich, IO: me
4. DO: news, IO: them
5. DO: postcard, IO: friend
6. DO: thank-you note, IO: his teacher
7. DO: toys, IO: their children
8. DO: breakfast, IO: our parents
9. DO: book, IO: her friend
10. DO: bouquet of flowers, IO: his girlfriend
11. DO: delicious meal, IO: their grandparents
12. DO: song, IO: our teacher
13. DO: secret, IO: her brother
14. DO: coffee, IO: his colleagues
15. DO: garden, IO: their guests
16. DO: cookies, IO: the neighbors
17. DO: cake, IO: her sister
18. DO: letter, IO: his brother
19. DO: collar, IO: their dog
20. DO: cozy bed, IO: our cat
21. DO: bedtime story, IO: her daughter
22. DO: joke, IO: his friend
23. DO: birthday present, IO: their nephew
24. DO: city, IO: our visitors
25. DO: romantic dinner, IO: her husband
This worksheet provides practice in identifying both direct and indirect objects in various sentence structures.
Worksheet
Here are 10 sentences with direct and indirect objects, varying in complexity:
1. The professor gave his students challenging assignments every week.
2. She bought her niece a beautiful necklace for her birthday.
3. They offered the homeless man a warm meal and a place to sleep.
4. He sent his best friend a heartfelt letter expressing his gratitude.
5. The company awarded its employees generous bonuses for their hard work.
6. We brought our neighbors some fresh vegetables from our garden.
7. The coach taught his players new strategies to improve their performance.
8. She showed her parents the breathtaking view from the mountaintop.
9. They asked the mechanic to fix their car’s engine before their road trip.
10. He lent his sister his favorite book to read over the weekend.
These sentences offer a range of scenarios and structures, providing a challenging yet varied exercise in identifying both direct and indirect objects.
Answers
Here are the answers with the direct objects (DO) and indirect objects (IO) identified:
1. DO: assignments, IO: his students
2. DO: necklace, IO: her niece
3. DO: meal and place to sleep, IO: the homeless man
4. DO: letter, IO: his best friend
5. DO: bonuses, IO: its employees
6. DO: fresh vegetables, IO: our neighbors
7. DO: strategies, IO: his players
8. DO: view, IO: her parents
9. DO: engine, IO: their car
10. DO: book, IO: his sister
These sentences demonstrate a variety of structures and scenarios where both direct and indirect objects are present.
In conclusion, direct and indirect objects play essential roles in sentence structure, indicating the recipients or beneficiaries of the action described by the verb. Identifying direct objects (DO) and indirect objects (IO) in sentences can enhance our understanding of how actions are performed and to whom or for whom they are directed.
Direct objects directly receive the action of the verb, answering the question “what” or “whom,” while indirect objects indicate to or for whom the action is performed, answering the question “to whom” or “for whom.” Through practice and understanding of sentence structure, we can effectively identify and differentiate between direct and indirect objects, contributing to clearer and more precise communication.
By mastering the identification of direct and indirect objects, individuals can enhance their language skills, improve writing proficiency, and communicate ideas more effectively in various contexts.
