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A direct object in a sentence is the part that experiences or is impacted by a verb’s action; it may be a single noun, a noun phrase, or a noun clause. Some sentences may not have direct objects because some verbs don’t require them.
This article will help you understand how to identify direct objects and distinguish them from other parts of speech in a sentence.
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A direct object is a part of speech that directly receives the action in a sentence or is directly affected by it. It is the “what” or “who/whom” that the verb acts upon. The direct object is generally a single noun, noun phrase, or noun clause.
Typically, the structure of a sentence with a direct object will be as follows:
Subject + Verb + Direct Object
Examples:
A direct object can only be a verb when it is a gerund (a verb form ending in -ing that works as a noun) or an infinitive (to + verb).
Examples:
Identifying the direct object in a sentence is simple if you first ask two questions:
Because the direct object is directly receiving the action of the verb or affected by it, to identify a direct object, first identify the verb.
There is generally one direct object in a simple sentence, and there can be one or more in complex, compound, or compound-complex sentences. The method of finding direct object(s) remains the same: first, identify the verbs, , ask “who/what” is receiving or affected by the action.
Both the subject and direct object are related to the action in a sentence.
The subject, on the other hand, is the person, place or thing performing the action.
Indirect objects in a sentence are also related to the verb or action, but not as directly. While direct objects tell “who/what” is receiving the action, an indirect object tells “to whom” or “for whom” an action is performed.
The typical construction for a sentence with a direct and indirect object is:
Subject + Verb + Indirect Object + Direct Object
Examples:
Not all sentences have direct objects because some verbs do not act upon an object. Some verbs express an action that is complete on their own. These verbs are called intransitive verbs.
An intransitive verb is complete by itself and is the only element needed to form the whole predicate (total action of the verb).
It doesn’t matter if the sentence is simple or complex; some verbs just don’t act “upon” something/someone else (like smiled in the examples below):
There are thousands of intransitive verbs. Some common examples include act, arrive, belong, dance, live, kneel, sit, go, fly, sleep, stand, and walk.
On the other hand, many verbs require a direct object. These are called “transitive verbs.” They “transfer” or “transmit” their action to a direct object. Remembering that helps to identify which verbs require a direct object.
Direct objects appear in many sentences, but not all. To avoid confusing a direct object with other parts of speech, remember that they are always identified by first finding the verb and then asking, “Who or what is receiving this action or being affected by it?” That is the best way to ensure you are identifying a direct object and not a subject, indirect object, or other grammatical element.
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