In this post, we will learn about different types of objects we have in English. If you prefer watching videos to learn English, scroll down to the end and click on the video.
Types of objects in English
There are 4 different types of objects in English. Most people know and talk about only two types of objects: Direct object and Indirect object. But that’s not all.
Here are the 4 types of objects that we have in the English language:
- The direct object
- The indirect object
- The object of a preposition
- The object of a possessive adjective
Note: The direct object and the indirect object are objects of an action verb.
Direct Object
A direct object is a noun or a pronoun that receives an action directly. It is something or somebody the action is acted upon. Ask WHAT or WHOM to the verb to find out the direct object in a sentence. The answer to ‘what’ will be a thing, and the answer to ‘whom’ will be a person.
Examples:
- I love Jerry.
(I love ‘whom’ = Jerry) - I love my city.
(I love ‘what’ = my city) - She slapped her teacher in the class.
(slapped ‘whom’ = her teacher) - Let’s watch a movie together.
(watch ‘what’ = a movie) - My friends don’t drink tea.
(drink ‘what’ = tea) - I like the idea of helping each other.
(like ‘what’ = the idea of helping each other) - Sam needed some money.
(needed ‘what’ = some money) - She kisses me before going to bed.
(kisses ‘whom’ = me)
A direct object, or any type of object, can be a noun, a noun phrase, or a noun clause. We have already seen direct objects as a noun and a noun phrase; let’s take some examples of direct objects as noun clauses:
Examples:
- I love what you do. (noun clause)
- The police admired how we helped the lady. (noun clause)
- Ron hates what she had last night. (noun clause)
NOTE: A direct object can be a gerund or an infinitive as they both can work as a noun.
Examples:
- I love teaching.
- I don’t hate smoking; I just don’t do it.
- She enjoys working here.
- We are planning to write a book.
- The company decided to cut some employees.
NOTE: To have a direct object in a sentence, the main verb (action) must be transitive. A transitive verb is an action verb that is acted upon something or somebody. All these verbs in the above examples are transitive.
If your sentence has an intransitive verb in it, it can’t have a direct object. An intransitive verb is an action verb that can’t have a direct object.
Some intransitive verbs: sleep, laugh, fall, yawn, sit, yell, cry, whine, dance, smile, etc.
Examples:
- He is crying her. ❌
- Why are you smiling/laughing me? ❌
- They are sleeping bed. ❌
Corrections:
- He is crying for her. ✔️
- Why are you smiling/laughing at me? ✔️
- They are sleeping on bed. ✔️
NOTE: An intransitive is not followed by a noun/pronoun directly. It is followed by a preposition as it can’t be acted upon an object directly.
Indirect object
An indirect object is generally a person who receives the direct object in a sentence. The direct object is done to or for the indirect object. We can’t have an indirect object in a sentence without having a direct object.
In order to have an indirect object in a sentence, the verb must be ditransitive. A ditransitive verb has two objects: direct and indirect object.
A list of common ditransitive verbs: get, gift, share, pass, tell, offer, bring, teach, show, send, allow, promise, charge, award, owe, mail, serve, sing, save, feed, lend, prescribe, etc.
Examples of indirect objects:
- Monu got me an amazing phone last night.
got ‘what‘ = an amazing phone (direct object)
Got it ‘for whom’ = me (indirect object)
- Could you pass us that book?
pass ‘what’ = that book (direct object)
pass it ‘to whom’ = us (indirect object)
- They told my father to watch my videos.
told ‘what’ = to watch my videos (direct object)
told ‘whom’ = my father (indirect object)
More examples:
- I will buy my mother a car.
- Allow me to help you.
- The teacher told me to call my parents.
- The lady served us cold food.
- Jon mailed me an unusual offer letter.
- I teach them English.
NOTE: When the indirect object is placed after the direct object, it, grammatically, becomes an object of a preposition as it comes after a preposition in that case.
- She has bought a book for Jon.
(Jon, here, is not the indirect object anymore though we know the direct object is for Jon. It is the object of the preposition ‘for.’)
- Alex is teaching English to me.
(The same thing happens here. Because of the placement, the indirect object has become the object of the preposition ‘to ‘ grammatically.)
How to find direct and indirect object in a sentence?
If a sentence has both the direct and indirect object in it, ask “what” to the verb to find out the direct object, and “whom” to find out the indirect object.
- I can’t tell him my secret.
I can’t tell “what” = my secret (direct object)
I can’t tell “whom” = him (indirect object)
All 4 Types of Objects in English — A detailed chart
When we think about “objects” in English grammar, most learners are familiar with just two: the direct object and the indirect object. But to truly master sentence structure and usage, you need to understand all four types of objects in English. Each plays a unique grammatical role and follows different types of words.
| Object Type | Follows | Answers | Can Be | Detailed Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Direct Object | A transitive verb (an action verb that needs an object) | What? / Whom? after the verb | Noun, pronoun, noun phrase, gerund, noun clause | ✔️ She baked a cake. ✔️ I like teaching. ✔️ He loves what she wrote. |
| 2. Indirect Object | A ditransitive verb (takes two objects: direct + indirect) | To whom? / For whom? (receives the direct object) | Noun, pronoun | ✔️ He gave her a book. ✔️ Can you teach me English? |
| 3. Object of a Preposition | A preposition (e.g., in, on, for, about, to, under, etc.) | What? / Whom? after the preposition | Noun, pronoun, noun phrase, gerund, noun clause | ✔️ I’m afraid of snakes. ✔️ She’s worried about failing. ✔️ They care about what I said. |
| 4. Object of a Possessive Adjective | A possessive adjective (my, your, his, her, our, their, its) | — (No specific question; completes the possessive structure) | Noun or noun phrase (not a clause or gerund) | ✔️ I admire his confidence. ✔️ She lost her favorite necklace |
Object of a preposition
An object of a preposition is a noun or a pronoun that comes right after a preposition. It can be a regular noun, a gerund, or a pronoun, but it can’t be an infinitive.
Examples of an object of a preposition:
- I was scared of dogs.
- Everyone is crazy about learning English in my house.
- The boy is hiding under the rock.
- Jonny is addicted to smoking.
- Some people don’t believe in God.
- We will go through the case soon.
- The boys just jumped into the lake.
- This is for you.
The object of a preposition can be a noun, noun phrase, or noun clause. Let me show you some examples to illustrate this:
- I was scared of those mean-looking men. (noun phrase)
- We are not scared of what you can do to us. (noun clause)
- Let’s not think about how it all started. (noun clause)
- My family takes pride in what I do. (noun clause)
Unlike direct objects and indirect objects, an object of a preposition can come at the beginning of a sentence, and even in the middle or at the end. Let me show you some examples to illustrate this point:
- At the beginning of the show, I wasn’t taking him seriously.
- On his request, we let the man sleep on our couch.
- We jumped into the pool quickly.
Object of a possessive adjective
An object of a possessive object is a noun that comes right after a possessive adjective. It can be a noun, or a noun phrase, but it can’t be a noun clause.
Possessive adjectives: my, our, his, her, their, your, its
Examples of an object of possessive adjective:
- My new job is to help people achieve their goals.
- I don’t need your help.
- Is your assignment about mental health?
- Everyone will have to look after their family.
- Most students love your teaching.
- His girlfriend helps him a lot.
- Look at this car. Its main feature is to run on water.
- They will appreciate your time.
Practice set!
- I don’t have anything for you.
- His speech impressed me.
- She won’t listen to you.
- Could you pass me the book?
- I enjoy his lessons.
- They didn’t allow me to enter the building.
- You can sleep now.
- Why are you getting angry at me?
- He got arrested last night.
- Jon is laughing like a mad man.
The answers to the questions are provided at the end of the article.
Can One Word Be Multiple Objects?
Yes, and this is where English grammar gets both interesting and confusing! A single word—usually a noun—can simultaneously perform multiple grammatical roles, depending on its position and the structures around it.
Let’s break this down with an example and clarity.
Example:
“She gave me her notebook.”
Let’s identify all the objects in this sentence:
- “me” → This is the indirect object (To whom did she give? → me)
- “her notebook” → This is the direct object (What did she give? → her notebook)
- “her notebook” → Now here’s the twist: within this phrase, notebook is also the object of the possessive adjective “her.”
That means:
- “Her notebook” is the direct object of the verb “gave”
- But within the noun phrase “her notebook,” notebook also acts as the object of the possessive adjective “her”
So, the same noun (notebook) plays two object roles at once—but in different structures.
Practice set answers:
1. Direct object = anything
Object of the preposition = you
2. Object of the possessive adjective = his
Direct object = me
3. Object of the preposition = you
4. Direct object = the book
Indirect object = me
5. Direct object = his lessons
Object of the possessive adjective “his” = lessons
6. Direct object = to enter the building
Indirect object = me
7. No object
8. Object of the preposition = me
9. No object
10. No object
Can a word be both a direct object and the object of a possessive adjective?
Yes! This is very common.
Example: “She gave me her book.”
Book is the direct object (what was given).
It’s also the object of the possessive adjective “her.”
So, the same word performs two roles in two different structures.
Is this kind of dual role grammatically correct?
Absolutely.
English often allows one noun to function in multiple structures at the same time—as long as the sentence is clear and well-formed. It’s a feature, not a flaw.
Do I need to identify both roles in every sentence?
Not necessarily for everyday use—but understanding both roles helps you:
Parse complex grammar
Avoid common mistakes
Improve your writing and sentence variety
This is especially helpful for exams, writing, and editing.
Can an object be both direct and indirect at the same time?
No. In a sentence, each object has a distinct role:
The direct object receives the action.
The indirect object receives the direct object.
They cannot be the same word at the same time.
Example:
✔️ “I sent him (indirect) a message (direct).”
❌ “I sent him.” → Incomplete. There’s no direct object.
What’s the easiest way to tell which object role a word is playing?
Look at what immediately comes before the word:
If it follows a verb → likely a direct or indirect object
If it follows a preposition → it’s the object of a prepositio.
If it follows a possessive adjective (my, her, their) → it’s the object of possession
Can a noun be an object of a verb and a preposition at the same time?
No. A noun can’t simultaneously be the object of a verb and a preposition in the same structure.
However, in different clauses or phrases, the same noun may serve different roles.
Example:
“He talked about his project.” (Object of preposition)
“He completed his project.” (Direct object)
Here, “project” is used twice but in separate structures
Hope you enjoyed the lesson! Feel free to share your question, doubt, or feedback in the comment section, and also, share the post with the people that need it.
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What a beautifully explain in a simple language which easly understandable and interesting
Glad you found the post interesting! Keep learning!
Sir object of possissive adjective can be a gerunf ?or it can only be a regular noun?
It can be a gerund too.
Ex – Your singing puts people to sleep.
Great post! I’m glad you broke down the different types of objects in English. It’s easy to get confused between them, but your explanation was very clear and concise. I especially found the section on abstract objects to be helpful. I’ll definitely be able to apply this knowledge in my own writing now. Thanks for sharing!
Glad you found it helpful!