Objects 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.

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"Objects" in the English Grammar

What Are Objects?

In English, objects are things or people that the action is done to them, which is the opposite of the subject that was the doer of the action in the sentence. Let us learn more about them.

Kinds of Objects

In English, we have three main kinds of objects that are listed below:

  • Simple Objects
  • Compound Objects
  • Complete Objects

Simple Objects

An object is a simple word that is sometimes used with a definite or an indefinite article.

She talked to me yesterday.

I linked it to my website.

I don't care about Greg.

We met Dr. Hopkins the other day.

Object Personal Pronouns

As it was mentioned before, personal pronouns can be used as both subjects and objects in sentences. Below is a table of object personal pronouns:

Object Personal Pronouns
First Person Singular Me
Second Person Singular You
Third Person Singular (Male) Him
Third Person Singular (Female) Her
Third Person Singular (Non-human) It
First Person Plural We
Second Person Plural You
Third Person Plural Them

Compound Objects

The second kind of object is called 'compound objects'. They consist of two or more objects and can be a mixture of nouns or pronouns. Below are examples:

They told my friend and me about the upcoming event.

She wrote to Lucille and her sister every week.

How Do They Function?

When using sentences, we have three major kinds of objects in the English language which are:

Direct Objects

Direct objects are those that the action verb directly affects. Let us take a look at the examples below:

She had a ballet class this afternoon.

David and Jenny are writing a letter in the library.

Tip!

By adding question words such as 'what' or 'whom', you can easily find the object.
"She had what?" a ballet class.

Indirect Objects

An indirect object is one that is affected by the direct object in the sentence. Look at the examples below:

I told her the good news.

She gave them food.

Warning!

An indirect object must always come with a direct object. The underlined words are the direct objects.

Object of a Preposition

These objects are nouns or pronouns that come after a preposition most of the time (not always). Let us look at the examples below:

She lives in Canada.

They wrote a letter to me.

Why Can't We Find Objects in Some Sentences?

In English, not all verbs take objects. There are two types of verbs when it comes to using objects:

Transitive Verbs

Transitive verbs are action verbs that always come with an object. Pay attention to the examples below:

She talked to Sarah last night.

As you can see, if you remove the highlighted part, the sentence will be incomplete.

We discussed the history of nursery rhymes in today's class.

Intransitive Verbs

Intransitive verbs do not need an object.

She failed.

Here in this example, the sentence is complete and there is no need for an object.

They danced.

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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.

Adjuncts

'Adjunct' is a word from the Latin that means 'join'. They are any elements in the structure of a clause that is not part of its core. Let's learn about them!

Complements

In grammar, complements are words, phrases, or clauses that are essential to complete the meaning of a given expression. Here, we will study them thoroughly!

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