English Language Arts
Grade 7
15 min
Is it a direct object or an indirect object?
Is it a direct object or an indirect object?
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Introduction & Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
Identify the action verb and subject in a given sentence.
Correctly identify direct objects in sentences by asking 'what?' or 'whom?' after the action verb.
Correctly identify indirect objects in sentences by asking 'to whom?' or 'for whom?' after the action verb and direct object.
Differentiate between direct objects, indirect objects, and objects of prepositional phrases.
Explain the relationship between direct and indirect objects in sentence construction.
Construct grammatically correct sentences that include both direct and indirect objects.
Ever wonder how sentences deliver information to specific people or things? 🤔 Let's uncover the secret roles of direct and indirect objects!
In this lesson, you'...
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Key Concepts & Vocabulary
TermDefinitionExample
VerbA word that describes an action, state, or occurrence.run, is, think, become
Action VerbA verb that expresses a physical or mental action.The dog *chased* the ball. (chased)
SubjectThe noun or pronoun that performs the action of the verb or is described by the verb.*She* reads books. (She)
Direct ObjectA noun or pronoun that receives the action of a transitive action verb. It answers the question 'what?' or 'whom?' after the verb.He threw the *ball*. (ball)
Indirect ObjectA noun or pronoun that receives the direct object. It answers the question 'to whom?' or 'for whom?' after the action verb and direct object.She gave *him* a present. (him)
Transitive VerbAn action verb that requires a direct object to complete its meaning...
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Key Rules & Conventions
Identifying the Direct Object (DO)
Find the action verb. Ask 'what?' or 'whom?' after the action verb. The answer is the direct object.
This rule helps you find the noun or pronoun that directly receives the action of the verb. The direct object is essential for the sentence's meaning when using a transitive verb.
Identifying the Indirect Object (IO)
First, find the action verb and the direct object. Then, ask 'to whom?' or 'for whom?' the action (and direct object) was done. The answer is the indirect object.
The indirect object always comes before the direct object and tells who or what benefits from or is affected by the action. It cannot exist without a direct object in the sentence.
The 'No DO, No IO' Rule
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Challenging
How can the sentence 'The mail carrier delivered a package to me' be rewritten to correctly use an indirect object instead of a prepositional phrase?
A.To me, the mail carrier delivered a package.
B.package was delivered to me by the mail carrier.
C.The mail carrier delivered me a package.
D.The mail carrier delivered to me a package.
Challenging
A student claims, 'If a sentence has a direct object and a noun that receives it, that noun is always an indirect object.' Why is this statement incorrect, based on the tutorial?
A.The statement is correct; that is the definition of an indirect object.
B.The statement is incorrect because the recipient could be the subject of the sentence.
C.The statement is incorrect because the recipient might be expressed as the object of a preposition (e.g., 'to him').
D.The statement is incorrect because some sentences have two direct objects.
Challenging
In the sentence 'The scientist showed her research to the committee,' a classmate argues that 'the committee' is an indirect object because it received the research. Which concept from the tutorial best refutes this argument?
A.The 'No DO, No IO' Rule.
B.The rule that an indirect object is never part of a prepositional phrase.
C.The definition of a transitive verb.
D.The rule that the subject performs the action.
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