Lesson 109

Parts of the Sentence - Direct Object

A direct object receives the action performed by the subjectThe subject tells who or what about the verb.  Source: Lesson 91.  The verb used with a direct object is always an action verbAction verbs are verbs that show action. Action verbs are the most common verbs.
Source: Lesson 1.  Another way of saying it is that the subject does the verb to the direct object.

To find the direct object, say the subject and verb followed by whom or what.  If nothing answers the question whom or what, you know that there is no direct object.

Example:
The car hit the tree.
The car hit whom or what?
Tree answers the question so tree is the direct object.
The car hit the tree.

Example:
The car sped past.
The car sped whom or what?
Nothing answers the question so the sentence has no direct object.

 
 
 

The direct object must be a nounA noun is a word that names a person, place, thing, or idea. Examples: man, city, book, and courage.  Source: Lesson 16 or pronounA pronoun is a word that replaces a noun or a group of words used as a noun.
Source: Lesson 21.  A direct object will never be in a prepositional phraseA prepositional phrase starts with a preposition, ends with an object, and may have modifiers between the proposition and object of the preposition.
Source: Lesson 71.  The direct object will not equal the subject as the predicate nominativesA predicate nominative or predicate noun completes a linking verb and renames the subject. It is a complement or completer because it completes the verb. The verb in a sentence having a predicate nominative can always be replaced by the word equals.
Source: Lesson 102, nor does it have a linking verbLinking verbs (state of being verbs) show that something exists; they do not show action. Some common linking verbs include: is, am, are, was, were, be, being, been, seem, look, feel, and become.
Source: Lesson 2 as a predicate nominative sentences does.

Direct objects may be compound.

Example:
The car hit the tree and the fence.
The car hit whom or what?
Tree and fence answer the question so tree and fence are both direct objects.
The car hit the tree and the fence.

A sentence may have a compound verbA compound verb is a sentence with two or more verbs. A compound verb is joined by either a co-ordinate conjunction or a correlative conjunction.
Source: Lesson 98 with one direct object for both verbs.

Example:
The man mowed and raked the lawn.
The lawn received the action of being both mowed and raked by the man.

 
 
 

A sentence with a compound verb may have two different direct objects in it.

Example:
The dog ate the meat and drank some water.
The direct object for the verb ate is meat.
The direct object for the verb drank is water.
The dog didn't drink the meat or eat the water.

Instructions: Find the subjects, verbs, and direct objects in the these sentences.

1. The football player changed his clothes and took a shower.

2. The speaker read his speech and answered some questions.

3. The carpenter fixed the door and painted the house.

4. The little girl played the piano and sang a song.

5. My neighbor mowed his lawn and watered the flowers.