Direct Object Vs. Indirect Object

What is the Object of a Sentence?

All sentences need a subject and a verb. The subject of the sentence does the verb: “Seymour gardens.” When another noun is introduced to the sentence to define the verb’s action, that noun is the object of the sentence: “Seymour gardens exotic plants.”

Examples of Direct & Indirect Objects

While they’re both objects, and both relate to the verb in the sentence, there are important differences between direct objects and indirect objects. To understand the differences between direct objects and indirect objects, let’s look at some examples.

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What is a Direct Object?

A direct object is who or what the verb of the sentence was done to:

• “Seymour gardens exotic plants.”
• “Audrey designs bouquets.”
• “Dr. Scrivello pulls teeth.”

The direct objects in these sentences are “exotic plants,” “bouquets,” and “teeth” because these are the nouns to which the action of the verb is being done (“gardens,” “designs,” and “pulls,” respectively).

What is an Indirect Object?

Indirect objects show who or what the verb of the sentence was done for:

• “Seymour gardens Mr. Mushnik’s exotic plants.”
• “Audrey designs customers’ bouquets.”
• “Dr. Scrivello pulls his patients’ teeth.”

We’ve added for whom or what the verb is done to our example sentences. “Mr. Mushnik” is the one for whom Seymour gardens, customers are the recipients of the designed bouquets, and patients have their teeth pulled.

The Main Differences Between Direct and Indirect Objects

To define the primary differences between direct and indirect objects, let’s break down the sentence, “Seymour gardens Mr. Mushnik’s exotic plants.”

• Importance. An indirect object cannot exist in a sentence without a direct object. Without “exotic plants” to garden, “Mr. Mushnik” would become the direct object of this sentence’s verb—and that’s incorrect.
• Usage. If a sentence has a transitive verb—a verb that needs something to act upon—it is incomplete without an object. “Seymour gardens” is a complete sentence, but with a transitive verb—“Seymour grows”—the sentence would be incomplete and confusing. If a sentence is incomplete without an object because it has a transitive verb, that object is a direct object.
• Relation to verb. A direct object receives the verb while the indirect object receives the direct object. “Exotic plants” are gardened, so they are the direct object; “Mr. Mushnik” is for whom they are gardened, so he is the indirect object.

Direct and indirect objects help add specificity and depth to your sentences, but if used incorrectly can create a mess when it comes to meaning. Whether you’re drafting a research paper or working on a presentation, take the time to ensure you’re using objects correctly in your sentences. Microsoft Editor is a helpful tool for ensuring your sentences read smoothly—and you can use it across more apps and programs than Microsoft Word.