Indirect Objects Are Found in Sentences That Already Contain Direct Objects

Indirect Objects

Pages 423-424

Indirect objects are found in sentences that already contain direct objects.

Key Concept: An indirect object is a noun or pronoun that appears with a direct object and names the ______or ______that something is ______to or ______for.

Indirect objects appear only with transitive ______verbs.

They are usually found after such verbs as ______, ______, ______, ______, ______, ______,______, ______, ______, ______.

To find the indirect object in a sentence, first make sure there is a ______. Then ask ____ or ___ whom? or ____ or ____ what? after the verb and direct object.

Examples:

IO DO

Ishowed Randy the book.(Showedwhat? Answer: book. That is the direct object. Showed the book to or for whom? Answer: Randy. Randy is the indirect object.)

IO DO

Theygave the space shuttle a thorough cleaning. (Gavewhat? Answer: cleaning. That is the direct object. Gave a cleaning to or for what? Answer: space shuttle. That is the indirect object.)

I took her the slides. (Tookwhat? Answer: slides (direct object) Took slides to or for whom? Answer: her (indirect object)

Like direct objects, indirect objects may be compound.

IO IO DO

Example: Ilent Richard and Tom my videotape of the launch.

An indirect object is ______the object of the preposition ____ or ______.

Example:

DO OBJ of PREP

Shetook the NASA souvenir for her sister.

IO DO

Shetook her sister a NASA souvenir.

In the first example, sister is not an indirect object. Only when the word sister is placed before the direct object and when the preposition for is dropped from the sentence does the word sister become an indirect object, as you see in the second example.

Exercise 19 : Recognizing Indirect Objects

Underline each subject once and each verb twice. Above each underlined word, identify it as a direct object (DO), indirect object (IO), or object of a preposition (OP).

1. The tour guide told himfacts about NASA.

1. The U.S. government established NASA in 1958.

1. NASA has launched manned space shuttles, satellites, and space probes.

1. NASA does not oversee military developments.

1. The President appoints an administer for NASA.

1. This person gives the government and the scientific communityplans for cooperation.

1. He or she also develops programs with other countries.

1. Space exploration brings new developments to the wholeworld.

1. The space shuttle program promises continued success.

1. Frank brought me a guidebook for further reading.