Sign inObjects for intermediate learners
Simply put, an object is a noun or pronoun representing the person or thing that is affected by the action of the verb. Here, we'll explain more.
What Are Objects?
An object is a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase that receives the action of the verb in a sentence. In a sentence, the subject performs the action, while the object receives the action.
Objects: Types
In English, there are three main kinds of objects as listed below:
- Simple Objects
- Compound Objects
- Complete Objects
Simple Objects
A simple object is a single word that is sometimes used with a definite or an indefinite article. It can be:
She talked to
I linked
- A proper noun:
I don't care about
We met
Object Personal Pronouns
As mentioned before, personal pronouns can be used as both subjects and objects in sentences. Below is a table of object personal pronouns:
Compound Objects
'Compound objects' consist of two or more objects and can be a mixture of nouns or pronouns. Below are some examples:
They told
She wrote to
Objects: Function
There are three major kinds of objects in English sentences which are:
Direct Objects
A direct object is a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase that directly receives the action of the verb . Let us take a look at the examples below:
She had
David and Jenny are writing
Tip!
Indirect Objects
An indirect object is one that is affected by the direct object in the sentence. It usually comes before the direct object and tells to or for whom or what the action is being done. Look at the examples below:
I told
She gave
Warning!
An indirect object must always come with a direct object. The underlined words in the above sentences are the direct objects.
Object of a Preposition
An object of a preposition is a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase that comes after a preposition and completes the prepositional phrase. The object of the preposition is the noun or pronoun that is affected by the preposition.
Let us look at the examples below:
She lives in
They wrote a letter to
Do All Sentences Have Objects?
In English, not all verbs take objects. There are
Transitive Verbs
Transitive verbs are
She talked to
As you can see, if you remove the highlighted part, the sentence will be incomplete.
We discussed
Intransitive Verbs
An intransitive verb does not require an object to complete its meaning. It expresses a complete thought without needing an object to receive the action of the verb. For example:
She
Here in this example, the sentence is complete and there is no need for an object.
They
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Subjects
In English grammar, the subject of a clause is the noun referring to the person or thing that is doing the action of the verb. We will learn all about it here.
Direct Objects
Generally, an object is a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase that usually comes after the verb. In this article we will talk about the direct objects.
Indirect Objects
As you know, there are three different groups of objects in English. This article is about indirect objects and their functions.
Objects of Prepositions
Objects of prepositions are used when we know there must be an object after the prepositions.
