Direct Object

A Direct Object is a noun or pronoun or noun phrase that is the object of the action performed by the subject.

• AKA: Object
• Context:
  • It can typically answer the "whom" or "what" of an Action Verb.
  • It is essential for understanding the complete meaning of a Transitive Verb.
  • In sentences, the direct object is usually positioned after the verb and can be a single word or a phrase.
  • It can integrate with other sentence components to clarify the action being performed.
  • A direct object can also be part of a larger Noun Phrase.
• Examples:
  • In the sentence “A gave B a C”, C is the direct object.
    • Here, [math]\displaystyle{ A }[/math] is the subject, [math]\displaystyle{ B }[/math] is the Indirect Object, and [math]\displaystyle{ C }[/math] answers "what was given?".
  • In the sentence “The cat chased the mouse”, “the mouse” is the direct object.
    • It answers the question "what did the cat chase?".
  • In the sentence “She reads books”, “books” is the direct object.
    • It answers the question "what does she read?".
• Counter-Examples:
  • In the sentence “He sleeps”, there is no direct object as there is no action directed at an object.
  • In the sentence “She is happy”, “happy” serves as a subjective complement, not a direct object.
• See: Object, Indirect Object, Transitive Verb, Subjective Complement, Noun Phrase.

---