What Is an Indirect Object? Structure and Examples

In English grammar, understanding the roles of different sentence components is essential for effective communication. Among these components, indirect objects play a significant role in conveying to whom or for whom an action is performed.

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What Is an Indirect Object?

An indirect object is a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase that indicates to whom or for whom the action of a verb is performed. It typically comes before the direct object in a sentence and answers the questions “to whom?” or “for whom?”

Key Points:

• Indirect objects are associated with transitive verbs, which require both a direct and an indirect object.
• Not all sentences with transitive verbs have indirect objects; some only have direct objects.
• An indirect object cannot stand alone as a complete sentence; it depends on the main clause.

Example:

• “She gave her friend a gift.”
  • Verb: gave
  • Indirect Object: friend (to whom was the gift given?)
  • Direct Object: gift (what was given?)

Identifying Indirect Objects

To identify an indirect object in a sentence, follow these steps:

1. Find the Verb:

Determine the action word in the sentence.

Example: “He sent his mother a letter.”

• Verb: sent

2. Find the Direct Object:

• Ask “what?” or “whom?” after the verb to find the direct object.
• Question: Sent what?
• Answer: a letter
• Direct Object: letter

3. Find the Indirect Object:

• Ask “to whom?” or “for whom?” the action is performed.
• Question: Sent a letter to whom?
• Answer: his mother
• Indirect Object: his mother

Additional Example:

• “They baked their neighbors cookies.”
  • Verb: baked
  • Direct Object: cookies (baked what?)
  • Indirect Object: neighbors (baked cookies for whom?)

Indirect Objects vs. Direct Objects

Understanding the distinction between direct and indirect objects is crucial for sentence structure and meaning.

Direct Object:

• Receives the action of the verb.
• Answers “what?” or “whom?” after the verb.
• Essential for completing the meaning of a transitive verb.

Indirect Object:

• Indicates to whom or for whom the action is performed.
• Answers “to whom?” or “for whom?” the action is done.
• Provides additional information about the action.

Combined Example:

• “She bought her brother a gift.”
  • Verb: bought
  • Direct Object: gift (bought what?)
  • Indirect Object: brother (bought gift for whom?)

Visualization:

Subject + Verb + Indirect Object + Direct Object
She + bought + her brother + a gift.

The Structure of Indirect Objects

Indirect objects usually appear before direct objects in a sentence without a preposition. However, they can also follow direct objects when introduced by prepositions.

1. Indirect Object Before Direct Object:

Structure:

Subject + Verb + Indirect Object + Direct Object

Examples:

• “I gave her a book.”
• “They sent us an invitation.”

Indirect Object After Direct Object (Using Prepositions):

When the indirect object follows the direct object, it must be preceded by a preposition, typically “to” or “for.”

Structure:

Subject + Verb + Direct Object + Preposition + Indirect Object

Examples:

• “I gave a book to her.”
• “They sent an invitation to us.”

Note: When using a preposition, you can interchange the positions of direct and indirect objects for emphasis or clarity.

Common Verbs That Take Indirect Objects

Certain verbs in English commonly require both a direct and an indirect object. These are often verbs related to communication, giving, and transferring.

Common Verbs:

• Give
  • Example: “She gave him a present.”
• Send
  • Example: “They sent me a letter.”
• Offer
  • Example: “He offered her some advice.”
• Show
  • Example: “We showed them our new house.”
• Tell
  • Example: “I told her a story.”
• Buy
  • Example: “She bought her sister a dress.”
• Lend
  • Example: “He lent me his car.”
• Ask
  • Example: “They asked us a question.”

Examples of Indirect Objects in Sentences

Noun as Indirect Object:

• “John gave Mary a flower.”
  • Verb: gave
  • Indirect Object: Mary
  • Direct Object: flower

Pronoun as Indirect Object:

• “I sent her an email.”
  • Verb: sent
  • Indirect Object: her
  • Direct Object: email

Noun Phrase as Indirect Object:

• “They baked their friends some cookies.”
  • Verb: baked
  • Indirect Object: their friends
  • Direct Object: cookies

With Prepositions:

• “She gave a book to me.”
  • Verb: gave
  • Direct Object: book
  • Indirect Object: me

Here are 20 examples of sentences with indirect objects:

1. She gave him a gift.
   (Indirect Object: him)
2. I sent my friend a postcard.
   (Indirect Object: my friend)
3. The teacher showed the students a new book.
   (Indirect Object: the students)
4. He offered her a ride to work.
   (Indirect Object: her)
5. They bought their parents a new car.
   (Indirect Object: their parents)
6. We told them the news.
   (Indirect Object: them)
7. The waiter brought us the menu.
   (Indirect Object: us)
8. I gave my dog a treat.
   (Indirect Object: my dog)
9. She sent me a letter.
   (Indirect Object: me)
10. He lent his brother his favorite book.
    (Indirect Object: his brother)
11. I made her a cup of tea.
    (Indirect Object: her)
12. They told the kids a funny story.
    (Indirect Object: the kids)
13. He showed us his new artwork.
    (Indirect Object: us)
14. She gave her parents a hug.
    (Indirect Object: her parents)
15. I asked him a question.
    (Indirect Object: him)
16. She handed me the keys.
    (Indirect Object: me)
17. We gave them a tour of the city.
    (Indirect Object: them)
18. He showed his friends the pictures from his trip.
    (Indirect Object: his friends)
19. The librarian gave us some advice.
    (Indirect Object: us)
20. I told her the secret.
    (Indirect Object: her)

In each of these examples, the indirect object is the person or group who receives the action or benefit of the verb.

Placement of Indirect Objects in a Sentence

1. Before the Direct Object:

Indirect objects typically come before direct objects without any preposition.

Example:

• “She sent him a letter.”
  • Indirect Object: him
  • Direct Object: letter

2. After the Direct Object (Using Prepositions):

When the indirect object follows the direct object, use “to” or “for.”

Example:

• “She sent a letter to him.”
  • Direct Object: letter
  • Indirect Object: him

Alternative Example:

• “He offered a job to her.”
  • Direct Object: job
  • Indirect Object: her

Transforming Sentences with Indirect Objects

1. From Indirect Object to Prepositional Phrase:

Sometimes, sentences can be rephrased to use a prepositional phrase instead of an indirect object.

Original Sentence:

• “I gave her a gift.”

Rephrased with Prepositional Phrase:

• “I gave a gift to her.”

2. Maintaining Meaning While Changing Structure:

Rearranging the sentence structure can emphasize different parts without altering the meaning.

Original Sentence:

• “They baked their neighbors cookies.”

Rephrased:

• “They baked cookies for their neighbors.”

Note: Both sentences are correct; the rephrased version uses “for” to introduce the indirect object as a prepositional phrase.

Common Mistakes with Indirect Objects

1. Omitting the Indirect Object When Needed:

Some verbs require an indirect object to complete their meaning. Omitting it can make the sentence incomplete or change its meaning.

Incorrect:

• “She gave a gift.”

Correct:

• “She gave him a gift.”

Note: Without specifying to whom the gift was given, the sentence lacks clarity.

2. Using the Wrong Preposition:

When using a prepositional phrase for the indirect object, “to” and “for” are the appropriate prepositions. Using others can lead to confusion or incorrect meaning.

Incorrect:

• “She sent a letter by him.”

Correct:

• “She sent a letter to him.”

3. Confusing Direct and Indirect Objects:

Misplacing the direct and indirect objects can change the sentence’s meaning.

Incorrect:

• “He gave a letter her.”

Correct:

• “He gave her a letter.”

Or:

• “He gave a letter to her.”

4. Incorrect Verb Choice:

Using verbs that do not take indirect objects but attempting to assign one can result in grammatical errors.

Incorrect:

• “She arrived him at the party.”

Correct:

• “She arrived at the party.”
  (No indirect object needed.)

Practice Exercises

Exercise 1: Identify the Indirect Object

Underline the indirect object in each sentence and label it.

1. “She gave her friend a present.”
2. “They sent me an invitation.”
3. “He offered us some advice.”
4. “I bought my sister a dress.”
5. “The teacher assigned the students a project.”

Exercise 2: Choose the Correct Indirect Object

Fill in the blanks with appropriate indirect objects from the options provided.

1. “Maria gave _______ (to John / John) a flower.”
2. “They sent _______ (to us / us) an email.”
3. “He offered _______ (to me / me) some help.”
4. “We bought _______ (to our parents / our parents) a gift.”
5. “She lent _______ (to him / him) her book.”

Exercise 3: Transform Sentences with Indirect Objects

Rewrite the following sentences by introducing the indirect object as a prepositional phrase using “to” or “for.”

1. “I gave her a ticket.”
2. “They sent us a package.”
3. “She told him a story.”
4. “We bought them new shoes.”
5. “He showed us his new house.”

Exercise 4: Correct the Sentences

Rewrite the following sentences to correctly include indirect objects.

1. “She gave a gift her friend.”
2. “They sent an invitation us.”
3. “He offered some advice to me.” (Note: this one is already correct; possibly change to use indirect object placement)
4. “We bought a book to her.”
5. “She lent her car him.”

Suggested Answers

Exercise 1: Identify the Indirect Object

1. She gave her friend a present.
   • Indirect Object: friend
2. They sent me an invitation.
   • Indirect Object: me
3. He offered us some advice.
   • Indirect Object: us
4. I bought my sister a dress.
   • Indirect Object: sister
5. The teacher assigned the students a project.
   • Indirect Object: students

Exercise 2: Choose the Correct Indirect Object

1. “Maria gave John a flower.”
2. “They sent us an email.”
3. “He offered me some help.”
4. “We bought our parents a gift.”
5. “She lent him her book.”

Exercise 3: Transform Sentences with Indirect Objects

1. “I gave a ticket to her.”
2. “They sent a package to us.”
3. “She told a story to him.”
4. “We bought new shoes for them.”
5. “He showed his new house to us.”

Exercise 4: Correct the Sentences

1. “She gave her friend a gift.”
   • Or: “She gave a gift to her friend.”
2. “They sent us an invitation.”
   • Or: “They sent an invitation to us.”
3. “He offered some advice to me.”
   • Alternatively: “He offered me some advice.”
4. “We bought her a book.”
   • Or: “We bought a book to her.”
5. “She lent him her car.”
   • Or: “She lent her car to him.”

Additional Tips for Using Indirect Objects

1. Know Which Verbs Take Indirect Objects:
   • Not all verbs require or can take indirect objects. Familiarize yourself with transitive verbs that typically have both direct and indirect objects (e.g., give, send, offer, show, tell).
2. Maintain Clarity:
   • Ensure that the indirect object is clearly linked to the verb and the direct object to avoid confusion about who is receiving what.
3. Use Pronouns Appropriately:
   • When using pronouns as indirect objects, ensure they are in the correct case (e.g., “me,” “him,” “her,” “us,” “them”).
4. Be Consistent with Prepositions:
   • When converting indirect objects to prepositional phrases, consistently use “to” or “for” to maintain sentence clarity and correctness.
5. Avoid Ambiguity:
   • In sentences with multiple nouns, make sure it’s clear which noun is the indirect object. Consider rephrasing to eliminate confusion.

Example of Avoiding Ambiguity:

• Ambiguous: “She gave her friend her dog a treat.”
• Clear: “She gave her dog a treat.”
  (Assuming “her dog” is the indirect object, but restructuring helps clarify.)