Objects in sentences

Curso de Inglés Intermedio B1: Pronombres y Cláusulas Relativas

Introduction

Welcome to Intermediate Relative Pronouns and Clauses

Relative pronouns and clauses

Important definitions before you begin

Relative pronouns and relative clauses

Types of relative pronouns

Role-play: Guess who?

Essential vocabulary

What are Placeholders?

One/ones

Preposition "by"

Both ... and

How to identify phrasal verbs

Negations with prefixes

Causative verbs

Role-play: What should I do?

Quiz: Essential vocabulary

Real and hypothetical situations

Generalizations about groups

General truths with Can

Role-play: Second conditional

Quiz: Real and hypothetical situations

Using "to" and "for"

Objects in sentences

Expressing purpose

Quiz: Using "to" and "for"

More ways to communicate in the past

Ongoing states and conditions

Difference Between "Until" and "till"

Expressing permission in the past

Past simple passive

Role-play: Past intentions

Story of Jack - The Time Traveller

Quiz: More ways to communicate in the past

Conclusions

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What are objects in English sentences?

When we talk about objects in sentences, we are not referring to physical objects, but to grammatical elements that receive the action in a sentence. These objects are mainly classified into two types: direct and indirect, depending on their location and function within the sentence. Understanding this differentiation is crucial to improve fluency and accuracy in the language.

How to identify direct and indirect objects?

Direct object: Answers the question "What?". For example, in the sentence "I gave the money to my brother," the direct object is "the money." It is the first element that receives the action.
Indirect object: It answers the question "To whom?". In the same example, "my brother" is the indirect object, since he is the one who receives the direct object.

What role do objects play in sentence structure?

Incorporating direct and indirect objects allows for greater diversity in sentence construction. You can rearrange these elements without losing meaning, which gives variety and naturalness to the language. For example:

"I gave the money to my brother" can be transformed into:
- "I gave my brother the money".

Both options are correct, but the second one is more common in spoken English.

How to avoid confusing objects with complements?

Not all sentences in English have an object. It is essential not to confuse objects with complements, which are additional words that emphasize information in the sentence:

In "She was happy," "happy" is a complement, not an object.
In "They seemed uncomfortable," "uncomfortable" is also a complement.

Complements do not answer the questions "What?" or "Who?", which makes them easier to identify.

How to practice identifying and transforming objects?

Practice is key to mastering the use of direct and indirect objects in English. Here are practical exercises to help you improve:

"My mom bought me some candies." Identify the objects and transpose their position:
- "My mom bought some candies for me".
"Please, send this email to the boss". Change the objects:
- "Please, send the boss this email".
"He gave Lucy a letter". Alternate the disposition:
- "He gave a letter to Lucy".

Understanding the difference between objects and complements, and practicing the rearrangement of objects, will facilitate the creation of more dynamic and natural sentences. You will be able to advance your learning and use of English effectively and confidently, so keep practicing and sharing your progress!

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Norma Yamileth Diaz Escobar

3 years ago

Objects:
Direct ----> what?
Indirect —> To whom?

I gave the money to my brother
The money = direct object
My brother = indirect object

DON’T CONFUSE “COMPLEMENTS” WITH "OBJECTS"
They seem uncomfortable
Uncomfortable = complement

REMEMBER: YOU NEED TO IDENTIFY THE OBJECTS AND THEN SWITCH THEM IF YOU CAN.

Maria Alejandra Liscano

3 years ago

My mom bought some candies for me
Please, send this email to the the boss
He gave a letter to Luc

Gabriel Obregón

3 years ago

We’re talking about that grammatical component that goes kind of in a second place.
We have the OBJECT which is the element or the agent that kind of receives the action.
There are mainly two types of objects in english:

DIRECT or INDIRECT. Depending on where they are placed and depending on the function that they have in the sentences.
DIRECT:
I gave the money to my brother (the direct object is the money, money represents the first object and brother represents the second object).
Give it to me (that it represents that first object and that me represents the second object) .
INDIRECT: Indirect objects are in a secondary place.
I gave the money to my brother (indirect object is my brother).
Give it to me (indirect object is that “me”).
Direct objects are usually answered with the question WHAT?(what did you give?) .
Direct objects I will have to ask the question about to WHOM?. To whom is the action (to whom was this money) .
Something else that is very important: Not all the sentences have an object and it’s very important not to confuse compliments with objects.
For example: she was happy or they seemed uncomfortable (there is not an object).
Why is this so important in english? Because it allows you to create your sentences in more diverse ways. For example:
I gave the money to my brother or I gave my brother the money.
Give it to me or Give me that.
She bought lunch for you or She bought you lunch.
These transformations allow you to speak in a more natural and fluent way.
Let’s practice: identify the direct and indirect object and then switch these objects.
My mom bought me some condies. Switch: my mom bought me some candies.
Please send this email to the boss. Switch: Please send the boss this email.
He gave Lucy a letter. Switch: He gave a letter to Lucy.
Remember that you need to make sure you have the two main components in the sentence so that you can make an effective switch.

Daniel Romero

3 years ago

I was confused how to identify well the objects as a part of a sentence. I look for it, and find this
reading as a complement if you don’t understand well. Read it, and second watch the class again. And you’ll get it.