／var／logmarcus chiu

Direct Object - Indirect Object - Object of a Preposition

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Direct Object
  • the thing being acted on by the verb

Jack cooked her a fish without salt

Indirect Object
  • the beneficiary of the action
  • the recipient of the direct object

Jack cooked her a fish without salt

Object of a Preposition
  • the noun governed by a preposition

Jack cooked her a fish without salt

How to Identify

  1. find the verb of sentence
  2. ask “verb what?” (the answer is the direct object)
  3. who/what received the direct object (the answer is the indirect object)
  4. find preposition attached to verb
  5. ask “verb preposition what?” (the answer is the object of a preposition)

How to Identify - Example

for example, given the sentence:

  • Jack cooked her a fish without salt

we have:

  1. find the verb of sentence:
    1. cooked
  2. ask “cooked what?”:
    1. fish - direct object
  3. who received it?:
    1. her - indirect object
  4. find preposition attached to verb:
    1. without
  5. ask “cooked without what?”:
    1. salt - object of a preposition