Most sentences that contain action verbs also feature objects of the verbs. These objects give us more information about the action by providing specific details about it, such as by telling who or what received the action or to whom or what (or for whom or what) the action was performed. In this way, objects are either direct objects or indirect objects, depending on the role they play in a sentence.
What Is an Indirect Object?
While a direct object tells who or what received action in a sentence, an indirect object tells to whom or to what (or for whom or for what) an action was done. In sentences featuring both direct and indirect objects, the indirect object usually comes first. Verbs that commonly take indirect objects include the following: give, lend, make, offer, send, tell, and write. (Note that words appearing after prepositions such as to and for are objects of the preposition, not the verb. As a result they are not indirect objects.)
The easiest way to determine the indirect object of a sentence is for you to ask yourself a question about the sentence’s action by using the phrases to whom or to what or for whom or for what.
Indirect Object Examples:
Nouns as Indirect Objects
(To whom did I lend my dress? I lent Melinda my dress. Melinda is the indirect object in the sentence.)
(For whom did Jasmine leave a tip? Jasmine left the server a tip. Server is the indirect object in the sentence.)
(For whom am I knitting a scarf? I’m knitting my mother a scarf. Mother is the indirect object in the sentence.)
(To what did I give a can of food? I gave my cat a can of food. Cat is the indirect object in the sentence.)
Pronouns as Indirect Objects
(To whom did Lana tell a secret? Lana told me a secret. Me is the indirect object in the sentence.)
(To whom did Clay send a wedding invitation? Clay sent him a wedding invitation. Him is the indirect object in the sentence.)
(To whom did my grandmother give piano lessons? She gave us piano lessons. Us is the indirect object in the sentence.)
(To whom did the man send a bouquet of flowers? He sent her a bouquet of flowers. Her is the indirect object in the sentence.)
Compound Indirect Objects
(For whom did Steve buy some sandwiches? Steve bought Kyle and me some sandwiches. Kyle and me are the indirect objects in the sentence.)
(To whom did the coach give medals? The coach gave Tanya and Krista medals. Tanya and Krista are the indirect objects in the sentence.)
(To whom did the manager offer a job? The manager offered Jared and Claire a job. Jared and Claire are the indirect objects in the sentence.)
(To whom did the agent hand plane tickets? The agent handed David and Luis their plane tickets. David and Luis are the indirect objects in the sentence.)
The examples above help show how indirect objects clarify information in a sentence by telling exactly to whom or what (or for whom or what) an action is done.
Related Topics:
Indirect object Worksheets
What is a Direct Object?
Grammar Terms
All Language Arts Terms