The Noun Phrase/Noun Clause as Indirect object 2 --ENGLISH TITLES THREE

Previously, we have said that the direct object will answer the question WHO/WHAT after an ACTION verb in a sentence. For example:

1. He kicked a ball.

(He kicked WHAT?)

2. Dave greeted his mathematics teacher.

(Dave greeted WHO?)

We shall now proceed to discuss the indirect object.

The indirect object answers the question TO WHOM. Before we proceed to give examples, you need to note the following:

1. While the direct object can occur alone in a sentence (without an indirect object), the indirect object CANNOT occur (alone) in a sentence without a direct object.

2. The indirect object will always precede (come before) the direct object in a given sentence.

The students presented their teacher a gift.

Subject verb iobj dobj

The students presented WHAT? (The answer to this will be the direct object); TO WHOM? (the answer to this will be the indirect object). Is it clear? Let's consider one more example.

Mr Alabi bought all his children chocolate.

Subject verb iobj dobj

Mr Alabi bought WHAT? (The answer to this will be the direct object); FOR WHOM? (the answer to this will be the indirect object). Is it clear?

The examples above are examples of noun phrases functioning as indirect object.

Noun clause as indirect object

The man gives whoever asks him whatever they want.

Sub. verb iobj dobj

The man gives WHAT? (The answer to this will be the direct object); TO WHOM? (the answer to this will be the indirect object).

She gives whoever she likes money.

Sub. verb iobj dobj

She gives WHAT? (The answer to this will be the direct object); TO WHOM? (the answer to this will be the indirect object).

Apart from noun phrases/noun clauses, the following can function as indirect object:

1. Pronouns

2. Proper nouns

3. (Plural) nouns

1. Pronouns as indirect object

Obi gave him a phone.

Sub. verb iobj dobj

Obi gave WHAT? (The answer to this will be the direct object); TO WHOM? (the answer to this will be the indirect object).

She gives everybody a smile.

Sub. verb iobj dobj

She gives WHAT? (The answer to this will be the direct object); TO WHOM? (the answer to this will be the indirect object).

2. Proper noun as indirect object

God gave Moses a rod.

Sub. verb iobj dobj

My friend gave Joke some books.

Subject verb iobj dobj

3. (Plural) Nouns as indirect object

Teachers give students assignments.

Subject verb iobj dobj

Did you notice that there very limited verbs that can be used in a sentence with both the direct and indirect object? Did you notice that it was 'gave' and 'presented' that are mostly used in our examples? These kinds of verbs are called transitive verbs, and they can be of two types:

1. Mono-transitive: A monotransitive verb requires just an object. For example:

i. He kicked the ball.

dobj

ii. He read a book.

dobj

iii. He likes her.

dobj

2. Di-transitive: A di-transitive verb requires more than one object. The verbs 'gave' and 'presented' used in all our examples above are di-transitive.

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Suggested previous English titles

Summary http://olabanjititles.blogspot.com/2019/04/students-are-usually-bitter-when-they.html

The noun phrase as subject http://olabanjititles.blogspot.com/2019/10/english-titles-functions-of-noun.html?m=1

The noun phrase as object 1

http://olabanjititles.blogspot.com/2019/10/english-titles-two-noun-phrasenoun.html?m=1

Identifying adjectival clause: http://olabanjititles.blogspot.com/2017/10/grammar-point.html?m=1

Word formation processes http://olabanjititles.blogspot.com/2019/03/word-formation-processes-affixation-how.html?m=1

Take a test http://olabanjititles.blogspot.com/2019/04/take-test.html?m=1

Spoken English http://olabanjititles.blogspot.com/2017/10/spoken-english-class-many-candidate-has.html?m=1

Homophones

http://olabanjititles.blogspot.com/2019/02/toluwalade-learns-to-pronounce-flour.html?m=1

Polysemous words