OBJECT
1. Direct object (кого? Что?)
Marie wrote a poem.
2. Indirect object (to whom? for whom? to what? for what? BUT that doesn’t mean that TO
and FOR included)
Marie sent me an email.
3. Object of preposition (prepositional object)
Marie lives in a dorm.
Passive and active object
Active: Bob purchased a new grill.(direct object)
Passive: A new grill was purchased by Bob.(prepositional object)
4. Complex object (the Objective'with'the'infinitive construction)
subject + predicate + noun(pronoun) + infinitive
A complex object is a grammatical construction in which an action is performed on more than
one object. It typically consists of a main verb, a direct object, and an indirect object. The
direct object receives the action of the verb, while the indirect object receives the direct
object.
Here are a few more examples of sentences with complex objects:
1. She sent her friend a postcard.
- Main Verb: sent
- Direct Object: a postcard
- Indirect Object: her friend
2. He bought his wife some flowers.
- Main Verb: bought
- Direct Object: some flowers
- Indirect Object: his wife
3. They made the children some sandwiches.
- Main Verb: made
- Direct Object: some sandwiches
- Indirect Object: the children
Nouns, pronouns, gerunds can function like direct objects.
Nouns and pronouns function like indirect objects
My aunt opened her purse and gave the man a quarter. (indirect object)
My aunt opened her purse and gave the quarter to a man. (prepositional object)
Girls are playing basketball around a utility pole with a metal hoop bolted to it. (direct objects)
He sat in the basement of the building, among the boxes, reading a book on his break.
Monotransitive verbs have a direct object.
Bob bought a car.
Ditransitive verbs have both direct and indirect object.
Bob gave me the keys to his new car.
Complex-transitive verbs used after the infinitive object complex (complex object).
I heard him shouting.
I hear her singing.
I had my car washed.
They elected him (to be) a president.
*Ergative verbs: Ergative verbs often exhibit a change in meaning or structure when used
transitively (with a direct object) compared to when they are used intransitively (without a direct
object). These shifts in meaning are a characteristic feature of ergative verbs in many languages.
Phrasal verbs (rely on, call for, etc): main verb + postposition.
Transitive phrasal verbs: phrasal verb + direct object
They brought up three children.
They brought them up.
Intransitive phrasal verbs: phrasal verb + no direct object
They ran away.
My car broke down.
Passive voice
Tom wrote that letter. – That letter was written by Tom.
Linking verbs (intransitive or not put under category of transitivity)
Can be in the function of notional verb (to be)