Direct and Indirect Objects

1. Direct and Indirect Objects 3-10 P. 132

2. Direct Objects • As you know, every predicate contains a verb. Some predicates, however, need more than just a verb to complete the sentence. • A dragonfly has. (has what) • A dragonfly has wings.

3. The additional words needed to complete the meaning of a sentence are called complements. Different verbs require different kinds of complements.

4. As you learned in the last lesson, a transitive verb requires a direct object to receive the action. • The direct object is always a noun or a pronoun that answers the questions whom? or what? after the verb. • Beady eyes cover a dragonfly’s head. (Cover what? Head) • Dragonflies do not harm people. (Harm who? People)

5. A sentence may contain a compound direct object. • Dragonflies eat mosquitoes and other insects.

6. Find the direct object or objects in each sentence. • Worker bees perform many different tasks in the hive. • They make wax and build honeycombs. • They also clean the hive and guard the entrance. • The larger workers collect nectar, pollen, and water and store it in the hive. • The smaller ones rarely leave the nest. • A group of worker bees surrounds the extremely important queen bee at all times. • The queen bee lays the eggs for the hive.

7. Find the direct object or objects in each sentence. • 8. The workers clean her and bring special food to her. • 9. They also prepare the cells of the hive for her eggs. • 10. Each cell contains one egg. • 11. Eventually an adult bee will leave the cell and begin the duties of a worker. • 12. Worker bees also protect the other bees in the hive during the cold winter months. • 13. By slowly moving their wings, the worker bees create heat within the hive. • 14. The cold weather, however, kills many workers near the edge of the hive.

8. Indirect Objects • Some transitive verbs have two kinds of objects. The direct object receives the action, and the indirect object tells who or what was affected by the action. • I showed Vince the fireflies. • The fireflies gave us a good show.

9. Only sentences with direct objects can have indirect objects. • To determine whether a sentence has an indirect object, first find the direct object. The indirect object always comes before the direct object.

10. Indirect objects answer the questions to or for whom? Or to or for what? • Nouns or pronouns with to and for can replace indirect objects. If a word follows to or for, however, it is NOT an indirect object. • I showed the fireflies to Vince. • The fireflies gave a show for us.

11. Like direct objects, indirect objects can be compound. • The fireflies gave Vince and me a good show.

12. List each object in the sentences below. Label it direct or indirect. • 15. I asked Ms. Jackson some questions about spiders. • 16. She lent Mark and me a book of photographs of spider webs. • 17. Each type of spider gives its web a different shape and design. • 18. I showed the other students pictures of sheet webs, funnel webs, and round webs. • 19. Most spiders trap insects in their silken webs. • 20. Balloon spiders produce silk for another purpose. • 21. These spiders climb tall grasses. • 22. Then they spin silk balloons and float through the air.

13. List each object in the sentences below. Label it direct or indirect. • 23. Ms. Jackson will give us another lesson on spiders tomorrow. • 24. Each type of butterfly has a particular wing pattern. • 25. Thousands of tiny scales cover a butterfly’s wing. • 26. The scales make a design in certain shapes and colors. • 27. I showed the class a picture of a monarch butterfly’s wing. • 28. The monarch’s wing pattern serves a special purpose.

14. List each object in the sentences below. Label it direct or indirect. • 29. Sometimes birds eat butterflies. • 30. The bodies of monarch butterflies contain a certain chemical. • 31. This poisonous chemical gives birds an illness. • 32. As a result, they avoid all butterflies with the monarch’s wing patterns. • 33. Several types of butterflies imitate the monarch. • 34. This trick provides these imitators safety from birds.

15. List each object in the sentences below. Label it direct or indirect. • 35. The color of their wings also gives butterflies protection. • 36. Many types of butterflies display the colors and patterns of certain rocks or plants. • 37. An enemy cannot see these butterflies against their surroundings. • 38. I give the dead leaf butterfly my vote for the most amazing disguise. • 39. This butterfly’s wings have an incredible similarity to a dead leaf. • 40. The dead leaf butterfly would certainly fool me!