The object

THE OBJECT is a secondary part of the sentence which completes or restricts the meaning of a verb or sometimes an adjective or a noun.

She has bought a pine apple.

I am glad to see you.

Who is afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?

She passed the exam unexpectedly to herself.

From the point of view of their structure objects may be:

1) simple: I’ve never seen you before.

She promised to come.

2) phrasal: I’ve brought a lot of money.

Do you know Miss Sibyl Vane?

3) complex: Nobody knew of his being absent.

We waited for the lesson to begin.

She thinks herself very bright.

I want you to go out.

4) clausal: Do you know what it all means?

He was amazed by what he saw there.

Types of object

OBJECT

DIRECT (non-prepositional)

INDIRECT

COGNATE (non-prepositional)

RECIPIENT

NON-RECIPIENT (prepositional)

(non-prepositional)

(prepositional) to, for

THE DIRECT OBJECT

is a non-prepositional object that follows transitive verbs and adjectives and completes their meaning.

I wrote a book. Nobody reads it.

She saw me leave.

The indirect object

can be recipient and non-recipient.

1) THE INDIRECT RECIPIENT OBJECT is attached only to verbs. It is expressed by a noun or a pronoun which as a rule denotes (or, in the case of pronouns, points out) a person who is the addressee or recipient of the action of the verb. It is joined to the verb either without a preposition or by the preposition “to” (or occasionally “for”). The indirect recipient object is generally used with transitive verbs, which thus take two objects, and are accordingly called ditransitive.

Verbs governing the indirect recipient object fall into two classes, which in accordance with their semantics are called verbs of benefaction and verbs of inducement.

Verbs of benefaction denote an action that is addressed to a person or is done for that person’s sake: give, buy, help, promise, teach, forgive, answer, read, write, etc.

Give me a piece of advice.

She used to teach me.

I’ve bought a vacuum cleaner for you, dear.

Verbs of inducement denote an action which causes a person to do some other action: ask, tell, order, urge, compel, etc.

Did I tell you to leave me alone?

I beg you to forgive me.

Ask Mr Humpty to come here at once.

Whether the indirect recipient object is prepositional (to, for) or non-prepositional depends on the kind of verb it is attached to or its position in relation to the direct object.

a) The indirect recipient object is non-prepositional when it precedes the direct object.

b) The indirect recipient object is prepositional when it follows the direct object.

c) The indirect recipient object is always prepositional no matter whether it precedes or follows the direct object with the verbs announce, ascribe, attribute, communicate, contribute, declare, dedicate, dictate, describe, deliver, disclose, devote, explain, interpret, prove, introduce, mention, open, point out, relate, repeat, reply, say, submit, suggest, etc.

She didn’t open to me her secret.

She didn’t open her secret to me.

2) THE INDIRECT NON-RECIPIENT OBJECT is attached to verbs, adjectives or adverbs. Its semantics can be different, but it never denotes the addressee (recipient) of the action.

The indirect non-recipient object is always prepositional.

This job is inconsistent with my principles.

This food is deficient in iron.

The council bestowed an honour on the professor.

What are you pondering on?

The book treats of the real events.

Mr Brown was acquitted of driving too fast.

Many people dissented from the policy of the government.

She lavished a lot of attention on her friends.

THE COGNATE OBJECT

is a non-prepositional object which is attached to otherwise intransitive verbs and is always expressed by nouns derived from, or semantically related to, the root of the governing verb.

John slept a long sleep.

Mary laughed a small laugh.

He smiled an idiotic smile.

The child smiled the smile and laughed the laugh of

contentment.