Questions tagged [indirect-objects]
for questions concerning the use of indirect objects
94 questions
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Need help with “who/whom” question [migrated]
_______ is the lady Jim was talking to?
a.) Who
b.) Whom
Hi all, may I know what is the answer to the above question? From my understanding of grammar rules, Jim is the subject and the lady is the ...
4
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3
answers
404
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Is the phrase "is submitted <something>" without a preposition correct?
I am following a Coursera course on something related to Large Language Models (LLMs). In the Module quiz, one question reads:
An LLM is submitted a prompt that asks whether[...]
This strikes me as ...
2
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6
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315
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Direct object omitted in ditransitive verbs
He does a bit of painting, but he doesn't like to show people.
What verbs allow this?
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2
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182
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Can you "wish something to someone"?
Is it correct to use the pattern "wish something to someone"?
The reason I ask is that I recently saw the following sentence written by a non-native English teacher:
Please wish Merry ...
8
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1
answer
626
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Syntactic analysis in English: correspondence between Italian "complements" and English ones
As a mother-tongue Italian speaker, we were taught that indirect objects can come in different flavours, which are referred to as complements (e.g., complement of term, origin, stay in position, ...
2
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2
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353
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Is the askee the direct object or is what's asked about the direct object?
I've been told that 'witnesses' is the indirect object and 'accident' is the direct object in the following sentence.
The police asked the witnesses questions about the accident.
I'm having ...
0
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0
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73
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Using verbs like 'project' without an indirect object?
I am doing line and copyediting on a research grant proposal, and I discovered a curious use of the verb 'project' that had no indirect object. The sentence is like this: "I will project deaths ...
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1
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79
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What is the technical grammatical difference between these two sentences?
. . . and is one preferred over the other?
I believe he sent these contacts an email earlier this week.
I believe he sent an email to these contacts earlier this week.
I feel the second is preferred ...
2
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2
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972
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Does using a preposition phrase instead of a direct object change the transitivity of a verb?
A textbook I'm using to refresh some basic grammar states that indirect objects can be identified by it's answering of questions such as 'to whom', 'to what' etc. (fair enough) and they always come ...
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2
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288
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“holding a mirror up to the inequalities across the nation”
The excerpt below is taken from an article in The Guardian, published in October 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic was still in its peak. The author is Richard Horton, a doctor and editor-in-chief of ...
7
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3
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Can "donate" be used as a ditransitive verb?
Are sentences like the following valid?
He donated the charity five hundred dollars.
She donated the children every penny she had.
We donated the library a large collection of books.
They won't ...
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1
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57
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Placement of objects after a verb [closed]
I learned that if we place an indirect object after a direct object, we use to/for to connect. Can we use any other preposition to do the same ?
Example:
Put the blanket on me.
Here, "me" (...
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1
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156
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Is a verb transitive when used only with an indirect object? [closed]
I am learning about indirect objects and transitivity in French, but I believe that my question is also valid in English. Therefore, I'd like to sort this out in English.
If a verb is used only with ...
0
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1
answer
730
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Does "to help" only have indirect object without having a direct object?
there. I stumbled upon this sentence: The charity gave them money to help them purchase a house. While trying to analyse it, I met some problems related to the verb "to help". My first ...
6
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3
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831
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'She' as sentence object [duplicate]
In the following sentence from Lolita, Humbert Humbert, in describing with maximum condescension the character of his new wife, states:
'I had always been aware of the possessive streak in her, but I ...
1
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2
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219
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Use of pronoun for objects in the preceding sentence [duplicate]
I am having some doubts regarding the use of pronouns.
Please have a look at the following sentences.
I picked a pen from the dustbin yesterday.
It writes very smoothly.
I picked a pen from the ...
3
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2
answers
344
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Origin of stating indirect object by sentence structure and no pronoun
Background
Consider the following from The Punisher season 2, with names replaced to avoid spoilers:
― Where is Donna, Jim? You tell me where she is, maybe I can pull your ass out of the fire with ...
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81
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The sentence structure containing a relative pronoun indicating the indirect object in the clause
When you want to indicate an indirect object with a relative pronoun, you might change the sentence structure from "verb + IO + DO" to "verb + DO + to IO. But this conversion may be ...
0
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0
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69
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Object vs adverbial
In the sentence:
"The teachers in our school are nice."
Is "in our school" an adverbial or part of the subject "The teachers in our school"?
Wondering because it would ...
0
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1
answer
442
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Grammar of sentence "He helps people find happiness"? Object Complement or Indirect object?
He helps people find happiness.
Is this an example of an Indirect Object (People) or an Object Complement (find happiness)?
0
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2
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48
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Appropriate pronoun for "deciding on" + pronoun + infinitive? [duplicate]
I was wondering about the grammar of sentences like this:
They decided on him going to Japan and her going to China.
Or should it be like this?
They decided on he going to Japan and she going to ...
1
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0
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97
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Interjecting adverbs between indirect and direct objects in ditransitive verb phrases?
I'm currently writing a paper about a syntactic issue in English and I was curious how these sounded to everyone.
Sam put carefully the coffee on the desk.
Sam put the coffee carefully on the desk.
...
1
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0
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42
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Can prepositions and verbs have an indirect object(s) or is the object of a verb(s) or preposition(s) always direct? [closed]
This is something I have always wondered, but I have been struggling with the subject-object thing for too long a time now, I can still very much in English learner.
0
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1
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78
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Usage of "next to" with dates and time periods
In sentence of form
Something must be reported prior to the first working day next to the reporting month.
does "next to" strictly means "after reporting month" or it can be treated as one before ...
1
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1
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279
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What is the subject in a passive infinitive sentence saying "to be considered for a promotion"
Once the employees have completed the company's largest project
successfully, they will be offered an opportunity to be
considered for a promotion.
I found that sentence in my English book and ...
1
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1
answer
711
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"Log hours against a task"
To give a little bit of context, I work on an software development company and we use a project management tool in which we raise tasks (we call them jiras, actually, but nevermind that) that ...
3
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2
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1k
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In "You did me wrong", is "wrong" an adverb or some other part of speech instead?
Consider:
You did me wrong.
In that sentence, is wrong an adverb or some other part of speech? I don’t understand the syntactic construction being used here.
1
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2
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359
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The semantic role of an object of a verb
I've posted a question in English Language Learners as to this sentence:
Mom made me a sandwich.
The intended meaning was "Mom made a sandwich, intending it for me."
There, I came to realize that ...
0
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1
answer
67
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Is it idiomatically to say "It is <adverb> doesn't ..."?
Several times I met the phrase as: "It is currently doesn't ...", for example "It is currently doesn't work...".
First of all, it seems that the phrase itself is grammatically incorrect, because the ...
0
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2
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146
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When i quote you from him you do not listen but when i quote you from Einstein you listen [closed]
Feeling great to join this network. I appreciate it.
I have a question: is it better to use the word quote or cite in such situation talking with a hypocrite person?
"When I quote you from him you ...
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3
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12k
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Is it "George and I" or "George and me"? [duplicate]
Recently, at McCain's funeral Obama said:
"After all, what better way to have the last laugh than to make George and I say nice things about him to a national audience."
Is it "George and I" or "...
0
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2
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293
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Is expression "It does us no harm." grammatically correct?
I would write it with "to":
"It does to us no harm."
or
"It does no harm to us".
Similar example from https://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/do-to
"I’ll never forgive him for ...
1
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1
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385
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Indirect object pronoun before direct object
I have seen a few people say that indirect objects that are in the form of a pronoun should be placed before the direct object in a sentence. Why is that? I didn’t know it mattered. For example:
“I ...
4
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1
answer
574
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Confusing syntax in sentences with indirect object complements
Some verbs produce unambiguous syntax when used with an indirect object.
I brought a toy to Katy. --> I brought Katy a toy.
I bought flowers for my wife. --> I bought my wife flowers.
...
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1
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638
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Which is the direct object and which is the object complement in this sentence? [duplicate]
I was reading a book on English grammar and it stated that the object complement may also be an adjective. In the sentence "Roger called George heartless", Roger was the subject, called was the verb, ...
0
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1
answer
88
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Comma in to kick someone something
Which of the following is correct?
1) I kicked Tim the bag
2) I kicked Tim, the bag (with a comma)
I want to say that I kicked the bag to Tim, do I need to put a comma after Tim?
Thank you
1
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1
answer
1k
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Verbs which do not take indirect object pronouns
I have a book with exercises of the type:
My uncle sent a book to my sister.
Which should be transformed as:
My uncle sent my sister a book.
There are some which do not seem to work well:
Our ...
2
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5
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9k
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"I remember the advice he gave to me" Why add preposition to? [closed]
While I was reading a book, I stumbled upon a sentence "I remember the advice he gave to me".
From my understanding, give can be used in two ways.
First. Give + IO + DO. For example, "He gave me an ...
2
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2
answers
855
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What is the subject in "The gift Karen gave to her brother is a teddy bear"?
I am unable to ascertain what would be the subject in the following sentence.
The gift Karen gave to her brother is a teddy bear.
Here the relative pronoun (that) has been omitted after the word ...
0
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2
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2k
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Which one is the direct object and indirect object? [duplicate]
Everyone is looking at us.
In the above sentence, "to look" is the verb, "everyone" the subject. Is "us" a direct object or indirect object?
How do you find the DO and IO?
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1
answer
1k
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Diagramming a Sentence with a Causative Verb
For a Reed–Kellogg sentence diagram, how would you diagram a sentence with a causative verb like "made"? For example:
The hot weather made her want to swim.
I understand that "weather" is the ...
1
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2
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877
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what is the direct object & the indirect object in the sentence in my post
I am trying to learn about direct and indirect objects. My question is sadly very simple but I'm unsure.
In the sentence below what is the direct object & what is the indirect object?
She should ...
2
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1
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1k
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Using "With" as Part of Indirect Object or Prepositional Phrase [closed]
Update
Oddly, the question was closed for "being unclear what you're asking" -- even though it is quite clear what I was asking since (1) I asked a direct question and (2) people gave very specific ...
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2
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419
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What type of object is 'whom' in this sentence?
In the sentence
Whom is she calling?
what type of object is whom?
Is whom an indirect object because she is doing the calling to a person referred to as whom?
2
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2
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345
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Can the verb 'last' ever be ditransitive?
(1) That car should last you for ten years.
(2) That car should last you ten years.
I think these two mean the same thing.
In (1), the verb 'last' is clearly monotransitive.
How about the verb 'last' ...
2
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2
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681
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Since the rules do not forbid “I brought him him”, can I therefore say it that way?
I’ve searched about direct and indirect objects, and all explanations have led me to think that I could say this:
?I brought him him.
Is that allowed? I think it should be, since the rules governing ...
1
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0
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57
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Direct object's placement [duplicate]
According to Longman's English grammar's book:
We can use two objects after verbs like give and buy.
Instead of: Give the book to me, we can say: Give me the book.
lnstead of: Buy the book for ...
0
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1
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2k
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Direct and indirect object with "give" and "buy"
I have been studying Longman's English grammar book, and something is really confusing me:
We can put it and them after the verb: Give it to me. Buy them for me. Do it for me.
With e.g. give and buy, ...
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1
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817
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Is this an indirect object?
"I stole a wallet from her"
I have always known indirect verbs to be "to" someone, can a direct object be taken "from" the indirect object?
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2
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356
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Question About Diagramming
This has to do with indirect objects. Take these two sentences for example:
The ship's captain gave the crew orders.
The ship's captain gave orders to the crew.
The first sentence is easy to diagram: ...