Verbs with Indirect Objects (dative verbs)
Indicating receivers of actions
Verbs whose indirect object can be restated with to
| PATTERN A. OBJECT BEFORE INDIRECT OBJECT | PATTERN B. INDIRECT OBJECT BEFORE OBJECT | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The receiver (recipient or beneficiary) of the action is the indirect object. When the indirect object is placed after the object, it is restated as a *prepositional phrase with to.This is also called the "dative" case (the noun to whom something is given.) Speakers prefer this sentence order when the indirect object is wordy. |
The usual placement of the indirect object is after the verb and before the object. Speakers prefer this sentence order when the direct object is wordy. We tend to place the "heavy" object at the end of the sentence. |
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SUBJECT Jason |
VERB gave |
DIRECT OBJECT a letter |
*PREP. PHRASE to me. |
SUBJECT Jason |
VERB gave |
INDIRECT OBJECT me |
DIRECT OBJECT a letter. |
Jason |
gave |
a thirty-year-old letter |
to me. |
Jason |
gave |
me |
a thirty-year-old letter from my father. |
Jason |
gave |
a letter |
to me, my sisters and three brothers. |
Jason |
gave |
me |
a letter which had been lost for thirty years. |
*This departs from the traditional analysis, where the prepositional phrases: to me, for me are analyzed as indirect objects. Semantically, they are the same. (They mean the same). (CaGEL 4.4.3)
Dative Verbs — (PATTERNS A. & B.)
award |
lend |
sell |
take |
bring |
offer |
send |
teach |
give |
pass |
serve |
tell |
hand |
read |
show |
write |
Dative Verbs — (PATTERN A. or B.)
| A. OBJECT BEFORE INDIRECT OBJECT (only) | B. INDIRECT OBJECT BEFORE OBJECT (only) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
announce He announces the plan to us. |
prove He is proving the theory to us. |
ask My friend asked me a question. |
bet My friend bet me ten dollars. |
describe She describes the plan to us. |
report He is reporting the plan to us. |
cost The book cost me twenty dollars. |
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explain He explains the plan to us. |
say She says the words to us. |
save My friend saved me a lot of time. |
|
introduce She introduces the plan to us. |
speak She speaks the words to us. |
charge My friend charges me nothing. |
|
mention He is mentioning the plan to us. |
suggest She suggests the plan to us. |
wish My friend wishes me good luck. |
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Related page: Say / Tell | Said Synonyms
Indirect Object Placement Exceptions
| IT / THEM | LENGTHY OBJECTS |
|---|---|
When the direct object is a personal pronoun like it or them, the indirect object is placed at the end of the clause as a prepositional phrase with – to. (Use pattern A. (to me). |
When the object is lengthy (wordy), it is better to put the indirect object before it. Use pattern B. In general, speakers to put heavier or lengthier parts of a sentence at the end. |
Will you please give me it? ⇒ Will you please give it to me. |
Please give that purple and pink poster that you have on the wall to me. ⇒ Please give me that purple and pink poster that you have on the wall. |
I am showing my family them. ⇒ I am showing them to my family. |
I will sell the television with the forty-inch screen and surround sound to him. ⇒ I will sell him the television with the forty-inch screen and surround sound.
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Also see Buy v Thank below.
Other Patterns
For
Verbs whose indirect object can be restated with for
| PATTERN A. OBJECT BEFORE INDIRECT OBJECT | PATTERN B. INDIRECT OBJECT BEFORE OBJECT | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The verbs (below this table ) can be used with one pattern: |
The verbs (below this table ) can be used with both patterns: |
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SUBJECT My friend |
VERB bought |
DIRECT OBJECT a present |
*PREP. PHRASE for me. |
SUBJECT My friend |
VERB bought |
INDIRECT OBJECT me |
DIRECT OBJECT a present. |
My friend |
opened |
a letter |
for me. |
— |
— |
— |
— |
Verbs in the "for" patterns — (PATTERN A.) and (PATTERN A. or B.)
answer She is answering the question for me. |
open |
buy |
get |
cash |
pronounce |
do |
make (construct) |
(ex)change |
prescribe |
find |
save |
close |
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Sentence Structure
When the "receiver" is the sole object in a clause
When a clause has one object, that object is always called direct object, even when its meaning is that of (receiver or beneficiary of the action) . That is, an indirect object is found only in combination with a direct object. With such verbs (the receiver) "is most directly associated with the verb" and is, therefore, called the direct object of the clause. (He hit me with a stick. He blamed me for the accident. He excused me for the offense.)
Buy vs. Thank
| BUY | THANK | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The verbs buy and thank differ in the words that complement each of them. Buy is complemented by a direct object (the person or thing being acted upon) and optionally an indirect object (the receiver or beneficiary of the action). Note that either the direct or indirect object could be the subject of the passive sentence. (Swan 6.10) |
On the other hand, thank is complemented by a direct object and optionally the preposition for which can be complemented by a noun (the gift), an adverb phrase (very much) or a gerund clause (for giving me...) |
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SUBJECT & VERB You bought |
INDIRECT OBJECT me |
DIRECT OBJECT a gift. |
SUBJECT & VERB (I) Thank |
†DIRECT OBJECT the gift |
INDIRECT OBJECT you not used! |
You bought |
DIRECT OBJECT a gift |
*PREP. PHRASE for me. |
(I) Thank |
you |
PREP. PHRASE for the gift. (prep phrase) |
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ADVERB very much. (adverb phrase) |
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|
(I) Thank |
you |
GERUND CLAUSE for giving me a gift. |
You bought |
a gift. |
|
(I) Thank |
you. |
|
complement – a word, phrase or clause which is necessary in a sentence to complete its meaning
† Note that you is the direct object. Typically the receiver or beneficiary is the indirect object. However, when there is no indirect object, the receiver of the action is the direct object. (CaGEL 251, 281)
*This departs from the traditional analysis, where the prepositional phrases: to me, for me are taken to be indirect objects. Semantically, they are the same (mean the same). (CaGEL 248)
Also see Thank you for -ing. for similar verbs.
Diagrams: Buy vs. Thank
| BUY — I.O + D.O | BUY — D.O + PREP PHRASE (I.O) | THANK — D.O. (I.O.) + PREP PHRASE (D.O.) |
|---|---|---|
Verbs that are complemented by an indirect and direct objects, normally call the receiver of the action indirect object and the thing acted upon direct object (ditransitives) |
Most verbs that are complemented by an indirect and direct objects, can be restated with the indirect object as a prepositional phrase. (But not: tell, ask, cost, save, etc.) |
Some verbs are complemented by a noun as the object of a prepositional phrase, but not as the direct object. In this case the "receiver" is the direct object rather than the indirect object of the clause. (CaGEL 251, 312) |
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Clause; Subject / Predicate; Finite / Nonfinite; NP –noun phrase; N – noun; VP – verb phrase; V – verb; Comp – complement; Det – determiner; PP – prepositional phrase; P – preposition; Sub – Subordinator
Common Mistakes
| ERROR | FIX |
|---|---|
You bought for me a sandwich.
|
You bought a sandwich for me. (Place the prepositional phrase at the end of the clause.) |
Thank you the sandwich.
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Thank you for the sandwich. (If you include the item (noun), place it in a preposition phrase with for.) |
Resources
Huddleston, Rodney and Geoffrey K. Pullum."Ditransitive Clauses." The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language (CaGEL). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2002. Print.
—"Direct and Indirect Objects" (244-6)
—"Ditransitive Clauses" (248)
—"Ditransitive/monotransitive contrasts" (308)
Swan, Michael."Verbs with two objects." Practical English Usage. 4th ed. 2009: Oxford University Press. Print.
Practice 1
Indirect Object Placement
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Practice 2
Indirect Objects – to
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Practice 3
Indirect Objects – for
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