Some verbs require an Object, a noun that receives the verb action, either directly or indirectly. Direct Objects often answer “who” or “what” the action is doing.

​

Aralai plays soccer. [Aralai plays what? Soccer, so soccer is the direct object.]

 

Aralai loves her brother. [Aralai loves whom? Her brother, so her brother is the direct object.]

 

Indirect Objects interact with Direct Objects to communicate what is happening to or for the Direct Object.

 

Aralai gave her brother a present. [Aralai gave what or whom? A present (Aralai did not give her brother as a present), so a present is the direct object. To whom did she give the present? Her brother, so her brother is the indirect object. The sentence can also be written as, “Aralai gave a present to her brother.”]

​

Aralai painted a picture for her parents. [Aralai painted what or whom? A picture, so a picture is the direct object. For whom did Aralai paint this picture? Her parents, so her parents is the indirect object. The sentence can also be written as, “Aralai painted her parents a picture.”

 

Careful: Not every word/phrase after a verb is a direct object; not every word or prepositional phrase adjacent to a direct object is an indirect object.

​

Aralai drove to the store. [Aralai drove what or whom? Nothing. There is no direct object. To the store is simply a prepositional phrase providing more details about where Aralai drove, not what or whom.]

​

Aralai drove her tricycle to the store. [Aralai drove what? Her tricycle, so her tricycle is the direct object; to the store remains a prepositional phrase about where Aralai drove her tricycle.]

 

Aralai drove her parents crazy. [Aralai drove what or whom crazy? Her parents, so her parents is the direct object; crazy is not an indirect object but the particle of the phrasal verb to drive crazy; some phrasal verbs are separated by direct objects.]

 

In many cases, a sentence either could not function without the direct object or the meaning would change significantly without it. Take, for instance:

 

In the morning, Aralai went to daycare. In the evening, she returned.

 

The second sentence could exist as is, but it communicates that Aralai left and came back to a place. In the following example, the direct object is necessary (the verb returned could not fully express the action without it):

 

Two weeks ago, Aralai picked up a book at the library. A week later, she returned it. [means: Aralai returned a book to the library] vs Two weeks ago, Aralai picked up a book at the library. A week later, she returned. [means: Aralai returned to the library]

​

Again, the verb is the same, but its use or meaning has changed (the act of returning something requires the direct object to be named, even if as a pronoun, such as it).

 

Direct and Indirect Objects can appear at different places in a sentence:

​

Aralai asked me a question. Aralai asked a question of me. 

​

Note, though, how key placements of words can change the meaning of such Object sentences!

 

Aralai threw the book.

​

Aralai threw the book to me.

 

Aralai threw me the book.

 

Aralai threw me.

 

Aralai threw me to the book.