What Are Direct Objects?
'Nouns,' 'noun phrases,' and 'pronouns' can act as the direct object of the verb which means the action of the verb is performed upon them. When we say 'direct' it means the object is directly receiving the action of the verb. Direct objects are used after 'transitive verbs.'
Direct Objects and Transitive Verbs
'Transitive verbs' are those that need an 'object' to have a complete meaning. Some transitive verbs can have two objects. For example:
They
Please
Nouns as Objects
If a verb is transitive and requires a noun as its object, any type of noun - whether it is proper or common, singular or plural, and countable or uncountable can be used as the object of the sentence. Check out the examples.
My mother saw
Pronouns as Objects
As you know, 'pronouns' are used to avoid repeating the same nouns. Here are the English object pronouns:
| Subject pronouns | Object pronouns | |
|---|---|---|
| First Person Singular | I | Me |
| Second Person Singular | You | You |
| Third Person Singular (M) | He | Him |
| Third Person Singular (F) | She | Her |
| Third Person Singular (N) | It | It |
| First Person Plural | We | Us |
| Second Person Plural | You | You |
| Third Person Plural | They | Them |
using a direct object in a sentence
Noun Phrases as Objects
In grammar, a 'noun phrase' is a group of words that includes a noun and any words that modify it, such as adjectives or determiners. Noun phrases can be used as the direct object of a transitive verb when they receive the action of the verb. Check out the examples:
The little girl drank
She decorated
Gerunds as Objects
Gerunds can be used as both the subject and the object of a sentence, and therefore can be used as the direct object of a transitive verb. When a sentence is in the passive voice, the direct object of the transitive verb becomes the subject of the passive sentence, and using a gerund as the direct object will not cause any issues.
I like
How to Find Direct Objects
A direct object is a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase that receives the action of the verb. You can identify the direct object by asking the question who, whom, or what is being acted upon. For example:
I gave him
We started a new
Active and Passive Voice
'Direct objects' can be used as the 'object' of the transitive verb in the active voice and as the 'subject' of the transitive verb in the passive voice.
They studied
Tip!
Remember, if the direct object of a transitive verb is a pronoun, you have to change it to a subject pronoun before you can use it as the subject of a passive sentence.
I heard
Objects with Phrasal Verbs
A phrasal verb is a combination of a main verb and a particle, which can be a preposition or an adverb. Direct objects can be used in various positions with phrasal verbs:
- You can use a noun phrase or a noun as an object between the two parts of the phrasal verb or after the phrasal verb.
- You can use an object pronoun only between the two parts of the phrasal verb and you can never use them after phrasal verbs.
Add them
Add
Inseparable Phrasal Verbs
Not all phrasal verbs can be separated; meaning that some phrasal verbs cannot have their particle separated from the main verb by an object. Consequently, object pronouns cannot be used with these phrasal verbs. For example:
I came across
We can't say 'I came itit
The dog ran and got in
Not 'The dog ran and got in it
Review
The direct object directly receives the action of the verb. Here are the possible direct objects:
- object pronouns
- gerunds
- nouns and noun phrases
