XXXIV. INDIRECT OBJECT
132. We have seen that the direct object names the receiver of the action asserted by the verb. In the sentence, “Kotuko made his dog a tiny harness,” the direct object of the verb made is a tiny harness, for this group of words tells what received the making, and answers the question made what?
If we go further and ask the question, made a harness for what? the answer is, his dog. This group of words is called the indirect object. It names the receiver of the direct object; that is, the dog received the harness.
133. An indirect object is always in the objective case, but it is not a complement of the verb, because it is not a necessary element of a sentence. We call it a modifier of the verb. The sentence, “In the morning the old wife gave the princess three nuts,” would be complete if we left out the indirect object the princess, and merely told what the old wife gave, namely, three nuts.
Notice that the indirect object comes between the verb and the direct object. If we place it after the direct object, we must supply the preposition to or for, and then instead of an indirect object we shall have a prepositional phrase.
Summary.—An indirect object is a word or a group of words that tells to whom or for whom, to what or for what, something is done.
An indirect object names the receiver of the direct object.
An indirect object precedes the direct object.
An indirect object is a modifier of a verb.
An indirect object is in the objective case.
Only a few transitive verbs take both direct and indirect objects. Some of them are bring, buy, do, get, give, lend, make pass, pay, promise, sell, send, show, take, tell, write.
Exercise 1.—Write sentences containing both direct and indirect objects, using verbs in the list above.
Exercise 2.—Select both the direct and the indirect objects in the following sentences, giving reasons:—
1. Carry your grandmamma a custard and a little pot of butter.
2. Aladdin made his mother very little reply.
3. I showed my comrades a large heap of stones.
4. Mrs. Howe had promised the children presents, so she bought George a gun, Mollie two gold rings, and Paul a checkerboard.
5. I wish the Lord would give horses voices for just one week.
6. Bring my mother six women slaves to attend her.
7. If you offer Dash a bit of sheep’s wool now, he tucks his tail between his legs, and runs for home.
8. I never told my schoolmates that I was a Yankee.
9. I paid Gypsy a visit every half hour during the first day of my arrival.
10. Then the magician gave Aladdin a handful of small money.
11. Father Andrew also taught Tom a little Latin.
12. The sultan granted Aladdin his request and again embraced him.