1. What is an Indirect Object?
An indirect object of a sentence shows the recipient of the direct object. It basically tells us to whom/what or for whom/what something is done. An indirect object can be made up of one or more words, or a phrase, known as a prepositional phrase.
To find the indirect object of a sentence, you can simply ask “to whom/what” or “for whom/what” the verb is happening, depending on the subject of the sentence. The answer will always be the indirect object.
Indirect objects may sometimes be confused with direct objects, especially when they are both nouns. However they function in a totally different way. Moreover, an indirect object cannot exist in a sentence without a direct object before it, but a direct object can exist without an indirect object.
Indirect objects are used quite often in our daily conversations, especially when we are talking about giving, buying, showing, taking, making, paying, sending and lending. Most of the time we use them unknowingly.
2. Examples
To understand what the indirect object is and how it functions, you should have a clear understanding of how a direct object functions first. A direct object is the person or thing (noun) that receives the action of the verb:
- Anne bought a new car.
- Our father built a house.
- The teacher handed out the report cards.
The above sentences are formed with a
- subject (Anne, our father, the teacher)
- a verb (bought, built, handed out) and a
- direct object (a new car, a house, the report cards).
Now let’s add an indirect object to each of the above sentences and see what happens:
- Anne bought her son a new car.
- Our father built us a house.
- The teacher handed out the report cards to the students.
Notice that the sentences look a little more elaborate now, as there is more than one object in each.
Now let’s find the indirect object by creating the right questions. Let’s use “for whom” or “to whom” since each sentence refers to a person. The answer to each will be the indirect object:
- For whom did Anne buy a new car? (answer: her son)
- For whom did our father build a house? (answer: us)
- To whom did the teacher hand out the report cards? (answer: the students)
Isn’t it easier to locate the indirect object when asking a question with to or for?
3. Parts of an Indirect Object
As you may have noticed by now, not all indirect objects look the same. This is because they can be formed by using different parts of speech, such as:
- Noun
A noun is a thing, person, animal or idea (desk, teacher, cat, friendship). - Adjective
An adjective describes a noun (wooden, tired, happy, strong). - Article
There are two articles in English: a/an and the. These are used before a noun. - Personal Object Pronoun
A personal object pronoun takes the place of a person, animal or thing (me, him, her, it, us, them). - Preposition
There are many prepositions in the English language, but in sentences that include an indirect object we usually see to and for. Prepositions are usually small words that precede verbs or nouns.
Using the previous examples, let’s dissect each indirect object and define it by parts of speech:
Example 1
Anne bought her son a new car. → Her = adjective
→Son = noun
In this example, Ann’s son is the indirect object because he gets the “new car” (which is the direct object).
Example 2
Our father built us a house. → Us = personal object pronoun
“Us” is the indirect object here because this word defines the receivers of the “house” (direct object).
Example 3
The teacher handed out the report cards to the students.
→ to the students = prepositional phrase (made of a preposition + article + noun)
In this final example, the prepositional phrase “to the students” functions as the indirect object because the students received the report cards (direct object).
This by no means implies that you should always use the above grammatical components to create an indirect object. These are just some ways an indirect object can be created.
4. Types of Indirect Objects
As mentioned in our introduction, there are three types of indirect objects, just as there are three ways to create them:
- Using one word (a noun or pronoun)
- Using two or more words (article + noun, adjective + noun)
- Using a prepositional phrase
a. Using One Word as an Indirect Object
Various words can be used as indirect objects within a sentence. The most common words that are used on their own are:
- Nouns
Nouns are used as indirect objects quite commonly. We usually see them in the form of a name or person.
Examples
- They bought Jim the gift he always wanted.
“Jim” receives the “gift” (direct object), which is why he is the indirect object.
- The headmaster gave Sarah the Student of the Year award.
“Sarah” received the “Student of the Year award” (direct object), so she is the indirect object of the sentence.
b. Personal Object Pronouns
Personal Object Pronouns are used as indirect objects when we do not want to mention a name or other noun, for whatever reason.
Examples
- The policeman gave him a very suspicious look.
“Him” is the recipient of the “suspicious look” (direct object), so it is also the indirect object of the sentence.
- My brother used to build me sandcastles as a child.
Here, “me” is the indirect object of the sentence because it describes the recipient of the direct object (which is the word “sandcastles”).
c. Using Two or More Words as Indirect Objects
Sometimes more than one word is needed to create an indirect object. There is no set rule for using more than one word. However, using multiple words helps define, describe, and make more sense of the object.
Article + Noun
An article and noun can be used together to create an indirect object of a sentence. You cannot use an article on its own, or a noun on its own for such a purpose.
Examples
- The doctor wrote the patient a prescription. → the = article
→ patient = noun
“The patient” is the indirect object of the sentence because it describes the person who got the direct object “a prescription”.
- She showed the library teacher her ID card. → the = article
→library = noun, functions as an adjective
→teacher = noun
“The library teacher” is the indirect object of the sentence because he/she is the recipient of the direct object “her ID card”.
Adjective + Noun
You can use different types of adjectives to describe the indirect objects and give the readers more information. For instance, you can use adjectives that show possession (possessive adjective) to substitute an article (as shown above) that precedes a noun. Using such an adjective makes the noun more personal in relation to the subject.
Note: You can use two adjectives if the first adjective shows possession.
Examples
He pitched his tall opponent a curve-ball. → his = adjective (possessive)
→ tall = adjective
→ opponent = noun
“His tall opponent” is the indirect object of the sentence because he is the recipient of the direct object “a curve-ball”.
- Sarah made bushing brides their dream dresses. → blushing = adjective (possessive)
→ brides= noun
The phrase “blushing brides” is the indirect object of the sentence because they are the receivers of the direct object “their dream dresses”.
- She taught her English students indirect objects. → her = adjective (possessive)
→ English = adjective
→ students = noun
The phrase “Her English students” is the indirect object of the sentence because it describes the receivers of the direct object “indirect objects”.
d. Using a Prepositional Phrase as an Indirect Object
A prepositional phrase always begins with a preposition. In the case of indirect objects, those prepositions are to or for.
Example 1
- He passed the ball to his teammate. → to = preposition
→ his = adjective (possessive)
→ teammate = noun
“His teammate” is the indirect object in the form of a prepositional phrase, beginning with the word “to.” The phrase is the indirect object because it shows the receiver of the direct object “the ball”.
Example 2
- They ordered a pizza for Amy. → for = preposition
→ Amy = noun
“Amy” is the indirect object in the form of a prepositional phrase, beginning with “for.” In this case, “Amy” gets the direct object “a pizza”.
Now that you know the components of a sentence that contains an indirect object, you can try creating your own sentences.
5. How to Write a Sentence with an Indirect Object
We use indirect objects all the time and mostly without knowing it. So, creating a sentence with an indirect object is most likely easier than you think. But before we get into the nitty-gritty of forming an actual sentence, why not recap by asking yourself the following:
- Do you know the difference between a direct and indirect object?
- Do you know what kind of words can be used as indirect objects?
- Do you know what question to ask in order to locate the indirect object within the sentence?
If you’re still a little confused, don’t worry. Practice makes perfect, and the following warm-up will get you acquainted with the exact process of forming a grammatically correct sentence even if the grammatical terms are still a bit hard to understand.
To makes things simpler, think of a sentence right now that includes:
- A person (let’s call him the donor)
- An action (such as give, tell, make)
- A receiver
- A thing that is given (or lent or made, etc)
The sentence should look something like this:
Donor + Action + Receiver + Thing
Jot your own sentence down and observe it. Essentially, and based on the instructions you followed above, what you just created in grammatical terms is:
Subject + Verb + Indirect Object + Direct Object
Example
Mom + gave + me + milk
To confirm that you have indeed formed the sentence correctly, you can observe the sentence and ask yourself:
- Is the direct object located as shown above? Yes
- Is the indirect object located as shown above? Yes
- If I ask a question using to whom / to what or for whom / for what, is the answer the indirect object? Yes
This is a simple way to get you started with creating sentences that include one or more words as an indirect object.
a. Using a Prepositional Phrase to Form a Sentence
If you remember what a prepositional phrase looks like, try to create a sentence based on the following guideline:
Donor + Action + Thing + To/For + Receiver
What you will essentially have created in grammatical terms is:
Subject + Verb + Direct Object + Preposition + Indirect Object
Where: Preposition + Indirect Object = Prepositional Phrase
Example
The teacher + gave + an award + to + James
How do you feel about creating your first indirect objects within two very different sentences?
Different languages across the world follow certain word orders when creating sentences. There are six main word orders in all languages:
- SOV — subject, object, verb
- SVO — subject, verb, object
- VSO — verb, subject, object
- VOS — verb, object, subject
- OVS — object, verb, subject
- OSV — object, subject, verb
The focus of this article — and the most uncommon word order across all languages — is: Object Subject Verb.
Let’s take a look in more detail!
Object Subject Verb Structure
Before we take a look at the object-subject-verb structure, here’s a quick reminder of the elements of a sentence:
-
Subject = a person or thing that carries out an action, e.g., «Lauren read a book.»
-
Verb = the action, e.g., «Lauren read a book.»
-
Object = a person or thing that receives the action of the verb, e.g., «Lauren read a book.»
In sentences that follow the object-subject-verb structure, the object comes first. This is then followed by the subject and, lastly, the verb. For example, instead of saying, «Greg ate pizza,» you would say, «Pizza Greg ate.» To native English speakers, this may seem quite unusual, as we typically follow the subject-verb-object structure instead!
Object Subject Verb Languages
You may be wondering, which languages use the object-subject-verb structure?
Very few languages use object-subject-verb as their natural word order. A natural word order (also known as an unmarked word order) refers to the dominant, basic word order we use without having to add or change anything for emphasis. In English, the natural word order is subject-verb-object.
The languages that do use the object-subject-verb order naturally include:
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Xavante
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Jamamadi
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Apurinã
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Warao
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Urubú-Kapoor
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Jupda
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Kayabí
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Nadëb
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Mizo and other Kuki-Chin-Mizo Languages
We will be looking at some of these in more detail later on!
So what about the other languages that use object-subject-verb?
The languages that do not use object-subject-verb as their natural word order tend to only use it when they need to add emphasis to a certain part of the sentence (usually the object, but sometimes the subject). This is known as a marked word order, as it differs from the natural word order. Such languages include:
-
Chinese
-
Korean
-
Japanese
-
Portuguese
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Hungarian
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Finnish
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Hebrew
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Arabic
-
Turkish
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Malayalam
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Nahuatl
As object-subject-verb is only used in marked sentences by the above languages, this means the natural word order will be something different.
Object Subject Verb Examples
Let’s first take a look at a couple of examples from languages that use object-subject-verb as their natural (unmarked) sentence structure:
Natural/Unmarked Word Order
The object-subject-verb word order is rarely used as a natural/unmarked word order. Here are just a few examples:
Apurinã
Apurinã is an Indigenous language spoken by the Apurinã people of the Amazon basin (South America). As of 2006, there were around 2800 native speakers of Apurinã.
Take the following sentence:
Apurinã: «ι-wako n-aroka.»
English translation: «His hand I wash.»
In English, we would typically write this as «I wash his hand.»
Another Apurinã example is:
Apurinã: «anana nota apa.»
English translation: «Pineapple I fetch.»
In English, we would write this as «I fetch (a/the) pineapple.»
Urubú-Kaapor
Urubú-Kaapor is a language belonging to the Tupí language family, spoken by the Ka’apor people of Brazil. As of 2006, there were around 600 native speakers.
Urubú-Kaapor: «pako xua u’ u.»
English translation: «Bananas John (he) ate.»
In English, we would write this as «John ate bananas.»
Nadëb
Nadëb is a Nadahup language (specifically the Macuan sub-family) spoken in the Brazilian Amazon. As of 2011, there were around 370 native speakers.
Nadëb: «samuuy yi qa-wùh.»
English translation: «Howler-monkey people eat.»
In English, we would write this as «People eat howler monkeys.»
Xavante
Xavante is a Macro-Gê language spoken by the Xavante people in the surrounding areas of Eastern Mato Grosso (Brazil). As of 2006, there were around 9600 native speakers.
Xavante: «aro te tsub- dza’ra.»
English translation: «Rice they winnow.»
In English, we would write this as «They are winnowing rice.»
Fig. 1 — Most languages that use object-subject-verb as their natural word order are spoken in or around Brazil.
Marked Word Order
Now let’s take a look at some languages that use object-subject-verb as a marked word order:
Finnish
The Finnish word order is very lenient, and object-subject-verb is often used to emphasize the object in a sentence. Take the following sentence:
«Sinuan minä tarvitsen.»
English translation: «you I need.»
Here, as the object «you» is placed at the beginning of the sentence, this adds emphasis to whoever «you» is referring to. This implies that the subject («I») needs a specific person («you») instead of someone else.
Another example is:
«Oranssin minä syön.»
English translation: «Orange I eat.»
This example emphasizes that the orange is being eaten; it does not necessarily matter who is doing the eating.
Korean
The typical word order of Korean is subject-object-verb. In some cases, however, object-subject-verb is used. It is important to know that, as well as subjects and objects, Korean also has «topics.» The topic of a sentence is the main focus of the sentence and can refer to either the subject or the object. To differentiate between subject, object, and topic, each one uses different particles (also known as markers) at the end of the word:
Subject: 이 / 가
Object: 을 / 를
Topic: 은 / 는
When an object is the topic of a sentence, it is placed at the beginning. When this happens, the object-subject-verb structure is followed. For example:
그 가방은 제가 좋아해요
English translation: «The bag, I like.»
Or more specifically, «(As for) the bag, I like (it).»
Japanese
Following on from Korean, Japanese is almost exactly the same:
Japanese: «そのりんごは私が食べました。»
English translation: «The apple, I eat.»
More specifically: «(As for) the apple, I eat (it).»
Hungarian
Unlike the previous examples, Hungarian uses object-subject-verb to add emphasis to the subject of the sentence. For example:
Hungarian: «A virágokat Kristof szereti.»
English translation: «Flowers Kristof likes.»
Meaning: Kristof likes flowers, not anyone else.
Turkish
Turkish also uses object-subject-verb to emphasize the subject. For example:
Turkish: «Yemeği ben pişirdim.»
English translation: «The food I cooked.»
Meaning: I cooked the food, not anybody else.
Subject Verb Object English
Let’s move away from Object- Subject- Verb now and take a look at the typical word order of English, which is:
Subject Verb Object
For example:
| Subject | Verb | Object |
| Sophie | writes | a poem. |
Subject-verb-object is the second most common word order across all languages — the first being subject-object-verb, which is used in languages like Korean, German, and French.
Subject Verb Object Sentences
What would subject-verb-object sentences look like if they followed the object-subject-verb word order instead?
Take a look at some examples of English sentences, first written in the typical subject-verb-object word order and then in the object-subject-verb order:
| Subject-verb-object | Object-subject-verb |
| Harry painted the fence. | The fence Harry painted. |
| I watched a movie. | A movie I watched. |
| They walk the dogs. | The dogs they walk. |
| I want to eat some chocolate. | Some chocolate I want to eat. |
| She tied her shoelaces. | Her shoelaces she tied. |
| I opened the cupboard. | The cupboard I opened. |
| He is a doctor | A doctor he is. |
| We danced with our friends. | Our friends we danced with. |
And finally…
What better way to end an article than give a quote from an iconic movie character, Yoda from Star Wars:
«The greatest teacher, failure is.»
Do you notice anything about this quote? It uses the object-subject-verb structure!
| Object | Subject | Verb |
| The greatest teacher | failure | is. |
Fig. 2 — Yoda speaks in a very unique way, using a range of sentence structures.
Object Subject Verb — Key takeaways
- In sentences that follow the object-subject-verb structure, the object comes first. This is then followed by the subject and, lastly, the verb.
- The object-subject-verb word order is the most uncommon word order in the world.
- Very few languages use object-subject-verb as a natural (unmarked) word order. Most of the languages that do are spoken in or around Brazil.
- The languages that use object-subject-verb as a marked word order tend to do so when adding emphasis to a certain part of the sentence (usually the object, sometimes the subject).
- The English language uses subject-verb-object as its unmarked word order. It is the second most common word order in the world.
If you don’t remember all of the grammar rules from your English class, you’re not alone. Everybody needs their memory refreshed from time to time. This is especially true when it comes to English grammar and the parts of speech. And prepositional phrases are one of the most important aspects of English grammar. To help you with these phrases, we will be discussing the object of a preposition.
So, what exactly is the object of a preposition? How is it used in a sentence? What are some examples? And how is it related to a prepositional phrase? We will answer all of these questions and more, but first, let’s take a closer look at the term “object of a preposition.”
What is the Object of a Preposition?
Object
In order to properly define this term and provide an answer to the question above, we will need to break it down into separate parts.
In English grammar, the object is the thing that is acted upon by the subject. For example, let’s look at the following sentence:
The dog jumped over the fence.
In this example, “dog” is the subject, and “fence” is the object that is acted upon. Generally, the object comes after the subject in a sentence, though this is not always the case. Here is an example in which the object comes before the subject:
The cat was chased by the dog.
In this example, “dog” is the subject, because it is the acting agent. Alternatively, “cat” is the object of the sentence, because it is the thing being acted upon by the subject. The cat (object) is being chased by the dog (subject).
Preposition
A preposition is a word that expresses the relation between two things within a sentence. Many of the most common prepositions in English describe the physical relation between two things; where they are in relation to each other. Some common prepositions include on, in, after, with, under, to, and from. Here are some examples of prepositions in sentences:
The dog is in the house.
The cat is on the roof.
The man is behind the tree.
The woman is near the car.
In each of these examples, the preposition describes a spatial relation between two nouns. However, prepositions can also describe temporal relations between nouns:
The man has been sleeping since five o’clock.
The woman will go home after work.
The boy doesn’t talk during class.
The girl likes to play before dinner.
Prepositions don’t only express the relation between two nouns; they can also express the relation between a verb or adjective and a noun. Here are a few examples:
The girl is going to school.
The man is coming home from work.
The boy is afraid of ghosts.
The woman is worried about her friend.
Prepositional Phrase
Before we define the object of a preposition, we must also discuss prepositional phrases. In most cases, a prepositional phrase is a group of words that includes a preposition but lacks a subject or a verb (though there are some exceptions that contain a subject and verb). A prepositional phrase usually includes a preposition and a noun or pronoun. We can use some of the examples above to illustrate how prepositional phrases look in a sentence:
The girl likes to play before dinner.
The cat is on the roof.
The man is coming home from work.
The woman is worried about her friend.
They worked until after the sun went down.
Defining the Object of a Preposition
Now that we have an understanding of objects, prepositions, and prepositional phrases, we can define the object of a preposition. Much as an object completes the meaning of a sentence, the object of a preposition completes the meaning of a preposition. The object of a preposition is necessary because prepositions are inherently relational, and therefore require objects (though not necessarily subjects) to make sense.
In short, the object of a preposition is a noun, noun phrase, clause, or pronoun that follows a preposition and gives it meaning.
The Object of a Preposition Examples
Before, we looked at a number of example sentences that show objects, prepositions, and prepositional phrases. Now, let’s look at a few examples that show how the object of a preposition functions in sentences:
(The prepositional phrases are in bold, while every object of the preposition is in bold and underlined.)
Her friend should be there by now.
The two men are in a hurry.
The cat goes to sleep at night.
The dog walks to school with the girl.
It is important to note that, while the object of a sentence does not always need to follow the subject, the object of a preposition must always follow the preposition. That said, a prepositional phrase does not need to come at the end of a sentence. It can appear at the beginning, middle, or end of a sentence, regardless of where the subject appears. To illustrate this point, let’s look at a few more examples:
The man was not late for work. In fact, he arrived early.
The woman went on the record during her testimony.
Dogs are friendly by nature, but some dogs can be aggressive.
On January 1st, the new year will begin.
English Preposition Cheatsheet (Video)
After reading so much about prepositions, do you feel a bit overwhelmed? Here’s a great visual aid from our lead instructor that will help you use prepositions followed by places and times with ease.
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Matthew Jones is a freelance writer with a B.A. in Film and Philosophy from the University of Georgia. It was during his time in school that he published his first written work. After serving as a casting director in the Atlanta film industry for two years, Matthew acquired TEFL certification and began teaching English abroad. In 2017, Matthew started writing for dozens of different brands across various industries. During this time, Matthew also built an online following through his film blog. If you’d like to learn more about Matthew, you can connect with him on Twitter, LinkedIn, or his personal website!
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