Direct and Indirect Objects (with VERBALS!)

Direct Objects The direct object receives the action in a sentence. Example: The boy broke the dish. Subject: boy Verb: broke The object of the verb broke : dish

Direct Objects The easiest way to identify the direct object is to find the verb and ask What? or Who? I ate cake. I is the subject. Ate is the verb. Ask what? to find the object of the verb. I ate what? The answer is cake that s our direct object!

Example Gertrude beat Billy at checkers. Gertrude is the subject. Beat is the verb. Ask whom? to find the object of the verb. Gertrude beat whom? Billy = direct object.

The direct object formula Subject + Verb + What? = Direct Object

BE CAREFUL! The direct object WILL NEVER BE A PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE!!! AND only action verbs can have direct objects!

Try it! Find the direct objects in the following sentences. Thick ice covered the trees. The photographer accidentally dropped the camera. Frustrated, Joey tossed his report card in the garbage. The loud noise caught my attention.

Indirect Objects An indirect object is a secondary receiver of the action in a sentence.

Mr. Franco gave his wife a diamond ring. To find the indirect object, we first have to find the direct object. Mr. Franco gave what? Ring = direct object Then we ask to whom? did he give the ring? He gave the ring to his wife that s our indirect object!

Indirect Object Formula Direct Object + to whom? = Indirect Object

Mandy told her sister a joke.

Direct Object Mandy told her sister a joke.

Direct Object Mandy told her sister a joke. Indirect Object

Find the direct and indirect objects The store was handing customers free samples. Eric gave Angie ten dollars. John sent me a letter.

What does this have to do with verbals? Let s review gerunds and infinitives Infinitives = infini- to (to + verb) I like to run around in circles. I can t seem to find my car keys. Gerunds = -ing verbs acting as a noun Swimming is my favorite sport.

What does this have to do with verbals? I made you re-learn subjects, predicates, and objects because THAT S HOW GERUNDS AND INFINITIVES CAN BE USED. Gerunds will ALWAYS be a subject, a direct object, or the object of a preposition. Infinitives will frequently be direct objects (rarely will they be subjects or objects of prepositions)

Gerunds as SUBJECTS Swimming is my favorite sport. It may sound crazy, but taking a quiz would be fun right now! The beginning of the movie was the best part!

Gerunds as DIRECT OBJECTS My friend Bill likes reading science fiction stories. My neighbors admire my gardening. I didn t like Kristen Stewart s acting in Twilight. My favorite hobby is hiking. (Technically this is a subject compliment, but think of it as a direct object. Regardless, it s still a gerund.)

Don t get confused Look out for your to be linking verbs: Am, is, are, was, were, be, been, being I am running through the halls. We are feeling confident about the test. She is lying on the couch. These are NOT gerunds. They are present progressive verbs! The only exception is sometimes the word is : My favorite hobby is hiking. <-NOT a verb. This is a gerund.

Gerunds as OBJECTS OF PREPOSITIONS I have often been complimented on my singing. I was thinking about buying a llama. At the beginning of the movie, Elsa totally freezes her sister s brain. All of Megan s time is devoted to whining.

Infinitives as SUBJECTS To love is the greatest feeling. To start a sentence with an infinitive is awkward. You probably won t see this much

Infinitives as DIRECT OBJECTS On snowy days, I like to ski. I want to finish my homework before I bingewatch Walking Dead on Netflix. Jenny hopes to see her Grandmother this summer.

Infinitives as OBJECTS OF PREPOSITIONS I am about to finish this presentation. Again, you don t see this very often

What about PARTICIPLES? You can usually work by process of elimination with participles If it s an -ing verb, but it s not the SUBJECT or a DIRECT/INDIRECT OBJECT or the OBJECT OF A PREPOSITION, then it s probably a participle. Remember, -ed verbs can also be participles, along with other endings you have to be vigilent!