What is an object? An object in grammar is a part of a sentence, and often part of the predicate. It refers to someone or something involved in the subject's "performance" of the verb. It is what the verb is being done to. As an example, the following sentence is given: Subject Verb Object Leila wrote the poem  "Leila" is the subject, the doer or performer,  "wrote" is a verb that refers to the action,  "the poem" is the object involved in the action. Transitive and intransitive verbs A verb can be classified as transitive or intransitive according to whether it takes or doesn't take an object: If a verb takes objects, then it is a transitive verb. Example: They played soccer. → (The verb play takes ONE object 'soccer')

1. What is an object?
An object in grammar is a part of a sentence, and often part of the predicate. It
refers to someone or something involved in the subject's "performance" of the
verb. It is what the verb is being done to. As an example, the following sentence
is given:
Subject Verb Object
Leila wrote the poem
 "Leila" is the subject, the doer or performer,
 "wrote" is a verb that refers to the action,
 "the poem" is the object involved in the action.
Transitive and intransitive verbs
A verb can be classified as transitive or intransitive according to whether it
takes or doesn't take an object:
 If a verb takes objects, then it is a transitive verb.
Example:
They played soccer. → (The verb play takes ONE object 'soccer')
They sent him a postcard. → (The verb send takes TWO objects 'him' and 'a
postcard')
 If a verb doesn't take an object, then it is an intransitive verb.
Example:
She lies. → (The verb 'lie' doesn't take any object)
The building collapsed. → (The verb 'collapse' doesn't take any object)
Types of objects
There are two types of objects: direct and indirect objects:
Direct object
A direct object answers the question "what?" or "who?"
Examples:

2.  David repaired his car → his car is the direct object of the verb repaired. ( What did David
repair?)
 He invited Mary to the party → Mary is the direct object of the verb invited. (Who did he
invite?)
Indirect Object
An indirect object answers the question "to whom?", "for whom?"
An indirect object is the recipient of the direct object, or an otherwise affected
participant in the event. There must be a direct object for an indirect object to be
placed in a sentence. In other words an indirect object cannot exist without a
direct object.
Examples:
 They sent him a postcard - him is the indirect object of the verb sent. (To whom did they
send a postcard?)
 He bought his son a bike - his son is the indirect object of the verb bought. (For whom did
he buy a bike?)
Some verbs have two objects, an indirect object and a direct object:
Subject Verb Indirect object Direct object
My wife sent Me an email.
He brought his mother some flowers.
He cooked all his friends a delicious meal.
These clauses have the structure:
Verb + Noun (indirect object) + Noun (direct object)
Alternatively, we can use a prepositional phrase with to or for with an
indirect object:

3. Subject Verb Direct object Prepositional phrase
My wife Sent an email to me.
He brought some flowers for his mother.
He cooked a delicious meal for all his friends.
These clauses have the structure:
Verb + Noun (direct object) + to/for + Noun (indirect object)
Common verbs with to and an indirect object are:
give
lend
offer
pass
post
promise
read
sell
send
show
tell
write
He gave his programmer to the man next to him.
He gave the man next to him his programmer.
They sent Christmas cards to all their customers.
They sent all their customers Christmas cards.
Common verbs with for and an indirect object are:
book
bring
buy
cook
find
get
keep
make
pour
save
They booked a table for me at the restaurant.
They booked me a table at the restaurant.
We made toys for all the children.
We made all the children toys.

4. If the indirect object is a long phrase, we normally use to or for:
He showed his ticket to the policeman standing by the door.
We kept something to eat and drink for all the people who arrived
late.
If the indirect object is a pronoun, we normally use the Verb + Noun +
Noun pattern:
I poured him another drink.
Their mother read them another story.
Exercise
Directions: Identify only the subject, the direct object, and the indirect object or the
object of the preposition in each sentence.
Example: Our teacher gave us some work to do.
subject: _____teacher________ / direct object: ___work_______ / indirect
object: ______us_______
1. We sent a package to our relatives in Iowa.
subject: _________________ / direct object: ____________________ / object of the
preposition: _________________
2. He told his parents a lie.
subject: _________________ / direct object: ____________________ / indirect
object: ___________________
3. Please hand me the remote control for the TV.
subject: _________________ / direct object: ____________________ / indirect
object: ___________________
4. Tina is making dinner for us.
subject: _________________ / direct object: ____________________ / object of the
preposition: _________________
5. Our boss is buying us dinner.

5. subject: _________________ / direct object: ____________________ / indirect
object: ___________________
6. A movie on TV gave me the chills.
subject: _________________ / direct object: ____________________ / indirect
object: ___________________
7. Wish me luck.
subject: _________________ / direct object: ____________________ / indirect
object: ___________________
8. His grandmother sends him five dollars on his birthday every year.
subject: _________________ / direct object: ____________________ / indirect
object: ___________________
9. They tried giving their baby some mashed peas.
subject: _________________ / direct object: ____________________ / indirect
object: ___________________
10. John paid the bill for us.
subject: _________________ / direct object: ____________________ / object of the
preposition: ________________

6. Exercise: Subjects, direct objects, and indirect objects (ANSWERS)
1. We sent a package to our relatives in Iowa.
subject: ______We________ / direct object: _____package_________ / object of the preposition:_____relatives_____
2. He told his parents a lie.
subject: _____He__________ / direct object: _______lie___________ / indirect object: ____parents_________
3. Please hand me theremote control for theTV. (The subject is "you" in the imperative form)
subject: _____You________ / direct object: ______control_________ / indirect object: _________me________
4. Tina is making dinner for us.
subject: ______Tina_______ / direct object: _____dinner__________ / object of the preposition: ________us_______
5. Our boss is buying us dinner.
subject: ___boss__________ / direct object: ______dinner_________ / indirect object: ________us__________
6. A movie on TV gave me the chills.
subject: __movie__________ / direct object: ___chills____________ / indirect object: ________me__________
7. Wish me luck.
subject: ___You__________ / direct object: _______luck_________ / indirect object: _________me_________
8. His grandmother sends him five dollars on his birthday every year.
subject: __grandmother____ / direct object: ______dollars_________ / indirect object: ________him_________
9. They tried giving their baby some mashed peas.
subject: ____They________ / direct object: _____peas___________ / indirect object: _______baby__________
10. John paid the bill for us.
subject: _____John_______ / direct object: _______bill__________ / object of the preposition: ________us___________