Grade by Grade
B. Foundations of Language · Foundations: Grammar, Sentences and Punctuation

Direct and Indirect Objects

B3.2About 40 minutes
Learning goals
  • I can find the direct object in a sentence by asking what? or whom? after the verb.
  • I can find the indirect object by asking to whom? or for whom?
  • I can tell an indirect object from the object of a preposition.
  • I can use object pronouns (me, him, her, us, them) as indirect objects.

Words to know

direct object
The noun or pronoun that receives the action of the verb. It answers what? or whom? after the verb: Ms. Lee gave a challenge.
indirect object
The noun or pronoun that receives the direct object. It answers to whom? or for whom? and comes between the verb and the direct object: Ms. Lee gave the class a challenge.
object of a preposition
The noun or pronoun after a preposition: to the class, for my sister.
object pronoun
A pronoun used as an object: me, you, him, her, it, us, them.

Who got the toque?

Grandpa knitted me a toque.

Two things are "getting" something in this sentence. The toque is what Grandpa knitted. Me is the person who received it. Both are objects of the verb, but they do different jobs. Today you'll learn the name for that second job: the indirect object.

A red and cream striped hand-knitted toque with a pom-pom on a wooden table, beside two balls of yarn and knitting needles.
In "Grandpa knitted me a toque", the toque is the direct object (what was knitted) and me is the indirect object (who received it). AI-generated image

Remember from Grade 5

You learned that a direct object receives the action of the verb. Find it by asking what? or whom? after the verb.

Amira kicked the ball. (kicked what? the ball)

The indirect object

Some verbs, like give, send, show, tell, buy, make, bring, teach, lend, hand, offer, pass, read and write, can have two objects.

  • The direct object is the thing given, sent or shown.
  • The indirect object is the person or thing that receives it. It answers to whom? or for whom?

The indirect object always comes between the verb and the direct object. A sentence can't have an indirect object unless it also has a direct object.

Ms. Leegavethe classa challenge.subjectverbindirect obj.direct objectto whom?gave what?
Find the verb, ask "gave what?" for the direct object, then "to whom?" for the indirect object.
Worked example

Let's find both objects

Find the direct and indirect objects: Our neighbour lent my dad her snowblower.

  1. Find the verb: lent.
  2. Ask lent what? → her snowblower. That's the direct object.
  3. Ask lent it to whom? → my dad. That's the indirect object.
  4. Check the order: verb → indirect object → direct object. ✓

Direct object: snowblower. Indirect object: dad.

The "to/for" test

You can usually move an indirect object after the direct object by adding to or for:

  • Grandpa knitted me a toque. → Grandpa knitted a toque for me.
  • Ms. Lee gave the class a challenge. → Ms. Lee gave a challenge to the class.

But watch out! Once you add to or for, the word is no longer an indirect object. It becomes the object of a preposition, inside a prepositional phrase.

  • She sent her cousin a postcard. → her cousin = indirect object
  • She sent a postcard to her cousin. → cousin = object of the preposition to
She sent her cousina postcard.indirect objectdirect object(to whom?)(sent what?)She sent a postcardto her cousin.direct objectprepositional phrase(cousin = object of to)add “to” and move it:no longer anindirect object!
When her cousin moves after the direct object and gets the word to, it stops being an indirect object. It becomes the object of a preposition.
Worked example

Let's tell them apart

Is Jamal an indirect object in each sentence? (a) Mom made Jamal a sandwich. (b) Mom made a sandwich for Jamal. (c) Mom called Jamal.

  1. (a) Verb made; made what? a sandwich (direct object). For whom? Jamal, sitting between the verb and the direct object → indirect object.
  2. (b) for Jamal is a prepositional phrase → Jamal is the object of a preposition.
  3. (c) Called whom? Jamal. There's only one object, so Jamal is the direct object.

Only in (a) is Jamal an indirect object.

Use object pronouns

Pronouns used as indirect objects are object pronouns: me, you, him, her, it, us, them.

  • ✅ Can you lend me a pencil?
  • ❌ Can you lend I a pencil?
  • ✅ The coach showed Ali and me the new play. (Test: showed me the play.)
Just for fun

Why does the indirect object get so many presents?

Because it always sits right between the verb and the gift!

Hands-on activity

Gift-wrap grammar

You need: 5 small household objects (a spoon, a book, a mitten, a pencil, an apple), a few sticky notes, and family members.

  1. Hand an object to a family member and say a sentence about it with an indirect object: I'm giving Mom a spoon.
  2. On a sticky note, write the sentence. Draw a box around the indirect object and a circle around the direct object.
  3. Rewrite the sentence using to or for: I'm giving a spoon to Mom. Now circle the direct object again. Is there still an indirect object? (No, Mom is now the object of a preposition.)
  4. Try different verbs: pass, show, lend, toss, bring, read.

What to look for: in each first sentence the indirect object is a person who receives the object, and it sits between the verb and the direct object.

Your turn

1

Find the direct and indirect objects: Grandpa knitted me a toque.

2

Find the direct and indirect objects: The librarian showed the students the new books.

3

Find the direct and indirect objects: Please pass your brother the potatoes.

4

Is aunt an indirect object? I wrote a letter to my aunt.

5

Rewrite so it has an indirect object: Dad bought a hockey stick for Kai.

6

Choose the pronoun: The guide told (we / us) a story about the lake.

7

Does this sentence have an indirect object? The baby smiled at us.

More practice: warm-up

1

What question finds the direct object?

2

What question finds the indirect object?

3

Find the indirect object: Sara sent her friend a text.

4

Find the direct object: Sara sent her friend a text.

5

Can a sentence have an indirect object without a direct object?

More practice: on your own

1

Find both objects: The firefighter gave our class a tour of the station.

2

Find both objects: Can you save me a seat?

3

Rewrite using to and explain what happens to the indirect object: Nadia threw the dog a stick.

4

Fix the pronoun: Mr. Chen gave Lucas and I a high five.

5

Direct object, indirect object or neither? teacher in The teacher read us a poem.

Challenge

1

Write a sentence with a compound indirect object (two receivers).

2

Explain why Mom is a direct object in one sentence and an indirect object in the other: (a) I helped Mom. (b) I made Mom a card.

3

Find every object: After the game, the coach handed each player a medal and told them a story.

Check your understanding

Quiz

1.

What is the indirect object? Leah lent her brother a book.

2.

What is the direct object? The chef cooked the guests a meal.

3.

In which sentence is Owen an indirect object?

4.

Choose the correct pronoun: The bus driver told ____ the route.

5.

Which sentence has no indirect object?

For parents and teachers

What this lesson is about: the indirect object, a new Grade 7 term. It's the person or thing that receives the direct object (Grandpa knitted me a toque).

How to help at home:

  • During meals, say sentences like Pass me the salt and ask: "What's being passed? To whom?"
  • Ask your child to rewrite sentences using to or for and explain why the indirect object disappears.

Common difficulties:

  • Calling to my aunt an indirect object. Once there's a preposition, it's the object of the preposition.
  • Finding an "indirect object" in a sentence that has only one object.
  • Using I instead of me in pairs (gave Lucas and I). Have your child drop the other person to test.