(Everyone agrees Sarah is an indirect object when there is no preposition.) (Some claim 'Sarah' is the object of the preposition 'to' and not an indirect object.)

Some grammarians claim that a direct object is not followed by 'to' or 'for.' In their view, 'Sarah' is not an indirect object in the first sentence below but is in the second. When giving jewellery as a present, I'm giving protection to someone I care about.He presented the prize to the winning captain.This happens when the direct object (bold text) comes before the indirect object. Often, the preposition 'to' (and sometimes 'for') will precede the indirect object, which makes spotting the indirect object much easier. Indirect Objects Preceded by 'To' or 'For' (Therefore, the indirect object is 'me.') Ask 'Who (or what) will receive it?' = 'me' (Therefore, the direct object is 'the signature.') Remember that once you have found the direct object, you have to ask who (or what) is receiving it to find the indirect object. (Therefore, the indirect object is 'the beggar.') Ask 'Who (or what) received it?' = 'the beggar' (Therefore, the direct object is 'a gold coin.') Once you've found the direct object, ask who or what received it. You can find the direct object by finding the verb and asking 'what?'. They are the recipients of the direct object, 'our ghost story.')īefore you can find the indirect object, you have to find the direct object. Shall I tell the children our ghost story tonight?.(Note: When the indirect object is a pronoun, the pronoun must be in the objective case. He is the recipient of the direct object, 'it.') (Note: Sometimes, the indirect object will follow a preposition like 'to' or 'for.') She is the recipient of the direct object, 'the money.')

He is the recipient of the direct object, 'a dirty look.') Here are some more examples of sentences with indirect objects. Here is a short video to explain the term 'indirect object.' (The indirect object (i.e., the recipient) is 'her father.') This next example, however, tells us about the recipient. (The direct object is 'the parcel.' There is no recipient of 'the parcel' in this sentence. Let's start by looking at a sentence that doesn't have an indirect object.

In all the examples on this page, the indirect objects are shaded, and the direct objects are in bold. Indirect Objects Preceded by 'To' or 'For'.

What is transitive verb