B2 – Upper Intermediate
Indirect Object
An indirect object (IO) typically represents the recipient, beneficiary, or affected participant of the action, while the direct object (DO) is the thing transferred.
She gave him a book.
(IO = him, DO = a book)
At an advanced level, what matters is:
- Which verbs allow indirect objects?
- When the structure is possible?
- How meaning shifts with different constructions?
Diagnostic Tests
To confirm an indirect object:
- Can it move to a “to/for” phrase?
- Can it appear before the direct object?
- Does the verb allow double object structure?
Two Structures
a. Double Object Construction (DOC)
- She sent me an email.
- They offered him a job.
Pattern: Subject + Verb + IO + DO
b. Prepositional Construction
- She sent an email to me.
- They offered a job to him.
Pattern: Subject + Verb + DO + to/for + IO
Semantic Differences
These forms are not always interchangeable.
a. “To” → Transfer
- give, send, lend, hand, pass
→ movement of something
b. “For” → Benefactive meaning
- buy, make, cook, find
→ doing something for someone - She baked him a cake. (= for him)
- She baked a cake for him.
However, it is incorrect to say:
- She baked a cake to him.
Verbs That Allow or Reject DOC
Allow both structures:
- give, send, offer, teach, tell
Typically do not allow DOC:
- explain, describe, suggest, mention, introduce
Incorrect: She explained me the problem.
Correct: She explained the problem to me.
Reason: these verbs involve communication of content, not transfer of an object.
Information Structure & Emphasis
DOC vs prepositional form affects focus and flow:
- She gave him a book. → focus on recipient
- She gave a book to him. → focus on object or contrast
Use DOC when:
- Recipient is short, known, or important
Use prepositional form when:
- Object is long/heavy
- Recipient needs emphasis or contrast
Pronoun Constraints
Pronouns strongly prefer DOC:
- Incorrect: She gave me it.
- Correct: She gave it to me.
- Rare, dialectal, usually avoided: She gave me it.
Rule: If DO is a pronoun → use prepositional structure
Passivization Patterns
Both objects can sometimes become subjects:
Active:
- She gave him a book.
Passive:
- He was given a book.
- A book was given to him.
Notes:
- “He was given…” is more natural in spoken English
- “A book was given…” is more formal
Indirect Objects vs Prepositional Objects
Not all “to/for + noun” phrases are indirect objects.
Compare:
- She gave him a book. → indirect object
- She gave a book to him. → indirect object (alternate form)
However:
- She spoke to him. → NOT an indirect object
- She depends on him. → NOT an indirect object
Key distinction:
- True indirect objects alternate with DOC
- Prepositional objects cannot
Dative Alternation
The shift between:
- Give him a book.
- Give a book to him.
is called dative alternation.
Not all verbs participate, and constraints include verb semantics, length and weight of phrases, and definiteness and givenness.
Verb semantics
Incorrect: She explained me the problem.
Correct: She explained the problem to me.
Length/weight of phrases
✔ Short + short (both fine):
She gave him a book. / She gave a book to him.
✔ Long DO → prepositional preferred:
Correct: She gave a detailed report about the company’s financial collapse to him.
Awkward: She gave him a detailed report about the company’s financial collapse.
✔ Long IO → DOC preferred:
Correct: She gave the student who had been waiting for hours a copy.
Heavier ending: She gave a copy to the student who had been waiting for hours.
Definiteness and givenness
I finally gave him the book.
I gave the book to a stranger I met on the train.
She gave the manager a report. (manager known) / She gave a report to a manager. (new/unspecified)
I didn’t give the book to John—I gave it to her.
Edge Cases & Subtleties
a. Idiomatic DOC
- Give it a try.
- Pay me a visit.
- Wish you luck.
These don’t always allow alternation:
- Wish luck to you. (less natural)
b. Abstract Transfer
- She taught me patience.
- They showed us kindness.
These are not physical objects, but they are still treated like DOs.
Ambiguity Avoidance
- She sent a letter to her friend in Paris. (Who is in Paris?)
Prepositional forms can create ambiguity DOC avoids:
- She sent her friend in Paris a letter.
Common Errors
Incorrect: He suggested me a plan.
Correct: He suggested a plan to me.
Correct: He suggested that I follow a plan.
Incorrect: She described me the situation.
Correct: She described the situation to me.
Incorrect: They bought to me a gift.
Correct: They bought me a gift.
Correct: They bought a gift for me.