The Indirect Object

By: Chelsea Bergner

What is in an indirect object?

The indirect object is a noun or pronoun that receives the direct object

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN??

That Means:

That in order to understand an indirect object, we first need to be able to identify a Direct Object

Let’s look at some examples:

John built a castle

I ate a pickle

Noah had an ark

Billy had a crush on Maria

Chelsea doesn’t like grammar.

Now what are the Direct Objects?

John built a castle

I ate a pickle

Noah had an ark

Billy had a crush on Maria

Chelsea doesn’t like grammar.

Basically….

subject + verb + what? or who? = direct object

Now you try: identify the direct objects in these sentences

Bill had a cow.

Sally wore a dress.

Timothy built a tree-house.

Derek bought a new backpack.

Allison made a delicious dinner

Let’s see how you did!!

Bill had a cow. Sally wore a dress. Timothy built a tree-house. Derek bought a new backpack. Allison made a delicious dinner

Great Job!!

Now that we can recognize Direct Objects, let’s look at Indirect Objects. These are the RECEPTORS of direct objects. Look at this example:

Chelsea gave the ball to Noah.

What is my direct objecct? A ball

Who am I giving it to? Noah. He is my INDIRECT OBJECT.

Some new examples: Can you find the Indirect Objects?

Sam gave his hat to Mary

Donna built a treehouse for her sister

Emily sent a postcard to her brother.

John gave a check to the cashier.

Get those red pens ready for checking!!

Sam gave his hat to Mary

Donna built a treehouse for her sister

Emily sent a postcard to her brother.

John gave a check to the cashier.

Now for some trickier examples…

I mailed my brother a letter

I gave the students their papers

I gave Martha the tickets.

Dun Dun Dunnnnn

I mailed my brother a letter

I gave the students their papers

I gave Martha the tickets.

Why was that tricky?

You can change the order of the indirect object and direct object- one does not have to come before the other. YOU have to decide what is the object of the sentence, and then who is receiving that object.

You could say

I mailed the letter to my brother. I mailed my brother a letter.

I gave the class their papers.

I have the papers back to the class.

Well That’s About It!

I hope you enjoyed this show on Indirect objects. Hopefully you can recognize them in your reading!!!