Understanding direct and indirect objects will help you make your sentences clearer and more natural. These grammar points are very common in everyday English, especially when we talk about giving, sending, or showing something.
In this lesson, you’ll learn:
- What direct and indirect objects are
- How to identify them
- Two common sentence patterns
- Common mistakes ESL students make
What Is an Object?
In English, an object comes after the verb. It tells us who or what receives the action.
👉 She read a book.
👉 He called his friend.
Some sentences have one object, but others have two.
👉 I studied grammar with my classmates.
👉 Can you text me the link?
What Is a Direct Object?
The direct object is the thing that receives the action of the verb.
Ask yourself: What? or Who?
- She bought a gift. (She bought what? A gift).
- They watched a movie. (They watched what? A movie).
- I need help. (I need what? Help).
👉 The action goes directly to the direct object.
What Is an Indirect Object?
The indirect object is the person (or animal) who receives the direct object.
Ask yourself: To whom? or For whom?
- She gave me a gift.
- He sent his sister a message.
- The teacher showed the students the answer.
👉 The indirect object usually comes before the direct object.
Sentence Patterns with Direct and Indirect Objects
Sentence Pattern 1: Indirect Object First (No Preposition)
Subject + Verb + Indirect Object + Direct Object
This is very common with verbs like:
give, send, show, tell, bring
Examples:
- She gave me the keys.
- He sent his boss an email.
- I told my friend the truth.
✅ No to or for is used here.
Sentence Pattern 2: Direct Object First (With a Preposition)
Subject + Verb + Direct Object + to / for + Indirect Object
Which Verbs Use to or for?
Verbs that usually use to
- give
- send
- show
- tell
- lend
👉 She explained the problem to the class.
Verbs that usually use for
- buy
- make
- cook
- get
👉 He made dinner for his family.
❌ She gave to me the book.
✅ She gave me the book.
❌ He bought for me a coffee.
✅ He bought me a coffee.
❌ I explained her the lesson.
✅ I explained the lesson to her.
👉 Remember: You can’t always remove the preposition.
Say and Tell
Say and tell have a similar meaning, but we use them in different sentence patterns.
1. Using say
We use say to focus on the words or information, not the person.
Pattern 1
say + something (direct object)
- She said her name.
- He said the answer.
Pattern 2
say + something + to + person
- She said her name to me.
- They said goodbye to their friends.
Pattern 3
say (that) + statement
- She said (that) she wanted a big wedding.
- He said (that) he was tired.
👉 With say, the person usually comes after to.
2. Using tell
We use tell to focus on who receives the information.
Pattern 1
tell + someone + something
- She said her name.
- He said the answer.
Pattern 2
tell + someone + to + verb
- The teacher told us to open the book.
- He told her to wait.
👉 Tell must have a person (indirect object).
3. Fixed Expressions with tell
Some common expressions use tell without another object:
- tell the truth
- tell a lie
Quick Comparison
- Say → focuses on what is said
- Tell → focuses on who is told
Common Problems for Spanish Speakers
Spanish and English organize indirect objects differently. Because of this, Spanish speakers often translate sentences word for word, leading to mistakes with word order, prepositions, and the verbs say and tell.
1. Adding to When It Isn’t Needed
Spanish often uses a before the person receiving something.
Spanish: Ella me dio un regalo.
In English, when the indirect object comes first, we do not use to.
❌ She gave to me a gift.
✅ She gave me a gift.
2. Forgetting to After Certain Verbs
Some English verbs always require to before the person receiving the information.
❌ The teacher explained us the rules.
✅ The teacher explained the rules to us.
Not every verb follows the same pattern, so learn them one by one.
3. Mixing Up Say and Tell
Spanish often uses decir for both say and tell, but English separates these meanings.
❌ She said me the answer.
✅ She told me the answer.
❌ She told that she was tired.
✅ She said that she was tired.
4. Confusing the Two Sentence Patterns
Remember that English usually allows two correct patterns:
- She gave me the book.
- She gave the book to me.
Both are correct, but the first pattern is generally more common in everyday conversation.
Memory Tip for Spanish Speakers
Think in patterns instead of translating. Learn each verb with its sentence structure:
- give + someone + something
- explain + something + to someone
- buy + someone + something
- say + something
- tell + someone + something
If you memorize the pattern instead of translating from Spanish, you’ll make far fewer mistakes.
Let’s Practice Direct and Indirect Objects
Exercise A
Unscramble each sentence.
- explained / the present continuous / us / to / the teacher
- the author / a scary story / read
- me / did / the homework / send / you / ?
- gave / Alexander / Michelle / a gift
- the manager / explained / us / the rules / to
- him / did / the message / send / she / ?
- bought / a coffee / me / he
- showed / the answer / the students / the teacher
- her / cooked / dinner / he
- did / you / tell / the truth / me / ?
Exercise B
Choose the correct answer.
1. She ___ me the truth.
a) said
b) told
c) said to
d) told to
2. He ___ goodbye to his coworkers.
a) told
b) told to
c) said
d) said them
3. The teacher explained the rules ___ the students.
a) for
b) to
c) at
d) with
4. I ___ her the message yesterday.
a) said
b) told
c) said to
d) say
5. She said ___ she was tired.
a) to
b) that
c) her
d) for
6. He bought a gift ___ his sister.
a) to
b) for
c) at
d) with
7. They told us ___ quiet.
a) be
b) to be
c) being
d) be to
8. She ___ the answer to the class.
a) told
b) told to
c) said
d) say
9. The manager sent ___ an email.
a) to us
b) us
c) for us
d) us to
10. He said hello ___ me.
a) at
b) for
c) to
d) with
Scoring and Feedback
🔵 17 – 20 Correct
Excellent work! 🎉 You really understand how to use direct and indirect objects. Keep using it in your everyday conversations and writing.
🟢 14 – 16 Correct
Great job! ✅ You have a good understanding of direct and indirect objects. Review the ones you missed.
🟡 12 – 13 Correct
Good effort! 💪You’re learning, and that’s what matters. Take a moment to review the examples and do the quiz again.
🔴 0 – 11 Correct
No worries! 🌱 Direct and indirect objects can be tricky at first. Go back and review the examples in the lesson.
Conclusion
Understanding direct and indirect objects helps you build clearer and more natural English sentences. Remember that the direct object is the thing, and the indirect object is the person who receives it.
When using say and tell, focus on the structure:
- Say focuses on the words or information.
- Tell focuses on the person who receives the information.
By practicing these patterns, you will make fewer mistakes with word order and prepositions like to and for. Take your time, review the examples, and try to use these structures when you speak and write in English.
Remember! Learning a language is not about perfection—it’s about progress. Keep practicing, stay curious, and trust the process. You are moving beyond English to more opportunities, connections, and self-expression!
