Understanding Objects in Grammar: Direct, Indirect, and More

Introduction to Objects in Grammar

Grammar is a fundamental aspect of any language, and understanding different types of objects is crucial for effective communication. In English, objects are primarily classified into two main types: direct and indirect. However, several other classifications such as object complements and objects of verbals also play important roles.

Direct Object

A direct object is a noun or pronoun that receives the action of a verb. It answers the question 'what' or 'whom' the subject is acting upon. For example, in the sentence 'John hit Stephen,' 'Stephen' is the direct object because John's action (hitting) is performed on Stephen.

Sentence Structures

Direct objects follow a transitive verb that acts on the object. Here are a few examples:

Mark watches TV every night.
What does Mark watch? - TV Mary hit the ball out of the park.
What did Mary hit? - the ball Mother baked an apple pie for the picnic.
What did Mother bake? - an apple pie Gina is always phoning her mother.
What is Gina phoning? - her mother

Exceptions and Additional Notes

Some direct objects are reflexive pronouns (e.g., 'himself'), which indicate the subject performing the action on themselves. Examples include:

John hit himself on the elbow.
John hit himself. The injured driver checked herself into the hospital.
The driver checked herself.

A direct object can take various forms including nouns, noun phrases, pronouns, noun clauses, gerunds, and infinitives.

Indirect Object

An indirect object indicates to whom or for whom the direct object is intended. Indirect objects are typically preceded by the prepositions 'to' or 'for.' For example, in the sentence 'Mother baked me a birthday cake,' 'me' is the indirect object because it indicates to whom the cake is intended.

Examples

Dad bought my brother a bicycle for his birthday.
Who did Dad buy the bicycle for? - my brother She sent me a birthday card.
To whom did she send the card? - me

It's important to note that prepositional phrases with 'to' or 'for' can also function as indirect objects. Practical examples include:

Mother baked a birthday cake for me.
A birthday cake was baked for me. Dad bought a bicycle for my brother.
A bicycle was bought for my brother. She sent a birthday card to me.
A birthday card was sent to me.

Other Classifications of Objects

Beyond direct and indirect objects, there are several other classifications of objects that are important in grammar.

Complements

A complement is used to provide additional information about the subject or object of a sentence. There are four main types of complements: object complements, subject complements, adverbial complements, and adjectival complements. For this discussion, we'll focus on object complements.

Object Complement

Object complements are typically nouns or adjectives that follow the direct object and provide further information about it. They often answer questions like 'what' or 'how.' For example, in the sentence 'Our neighbors painted their house green,' 'green' is the object complement, describing the direct object 'house.'

Sentence Patterns and Examples

Our neighbors painted their house green.
Direct object house, Object complement green The student council elected me president.
Direct object me, Object complement president

Objects of Prepositions

The object of a preposition will always be in the objective case regardless of what type of word it is. Common prepositions include 'in,' 'to,' and 'for,' among others. Examples are provided below:

The tree in the meadow is an old oak.
Object of preposition meadow I like most animals except dogs with fleas.
Object of preposition dogs with fleas

Objects of Verbals

Verbals include infinitives, gerunds, and participles. These are categorized as verb forms used as nouns or modifiers.

Objects of Infinitives

Infinitives are typically introduced by 'to' and can be followed by objects. These objects are called objects of infinitives. Examples are provided below:

My father tried to find his missing wallet.
Direct object of infinitive wallet To buy a house in the country was his life-long dream.
Noun infinitive phrase as subject To buy a house in the country, direct object of infinitive house Mother wanted me to take piano lessons.
Infinitive clause as direct object me to take piano lessons, subject of infinitive clause me

Objects of Gerunds

A gerund is a verb form ending in 'ing' used as a noun. These can have objects as well, called objects of gerunds.

Painting houses can be very rewarding.
Object of gerund houses We all enjoyed seeing the photos.
Object of gerund the photos The team won the game by passing the ball.
Object of gerund the ball

Objects of Participles

Participles are verb forms in 'ing' or 'ed' endings used as adjectives. They can have objects incorporated into their grammatical unit, called objects of participles or objects of participial phrases.

Sleeping in my lap, the cat purred contentedly.
Object of participle cat Sleeping until noon on Saturdays is a favorite hobby of mine.
Object of participle hobby My brother, repairing his car at the last minute, was able to enter the race.
Object of participle car Trying to unfasten the window, the burglar awakened the family’s dog.
Object of participle window