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English/Word Functions/Indirect Objects

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General: Introduction - Grammar
Parts of speech: Nouns - Verbs - Adjectives - Adverbs - Pronouns - Conjunctions - Prepositions - Interjections
Parts of the sentence: Subjects - Predicates
Word functions: Subjects - Predicates - Direct Objects - Indirect Objects - Objects of the Preposition
Types of sentences: Simple Sentences - Complex Sentences
Types of Phrases: Adjective - Adverb - Noun
Types of Clauses: Adjective - Adverb - Noun
Other English topics: Gerunds - Idiomatic Phrases - Spelling - Vocabulary - Punctuation - Syntax - Appositives - Phonics - Pronunciation

An indirect object is a second object in a sentence. It receives the action of the verb only indirectly. There can only be an indirect object if there is already a direct object.

We gave the teacher our tests.

In the above sentence we is the subject of the sentence, our tests is the direct object (the thing that was given), and the teacher is the indirect object. This is because the teacher took the tests (receiving the action), but was not the thing given (our tests).

Indirect objects are often used in sentences with verbs like tell, give, ask, buy, sell and many other common verbs.


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