Overview

In grammar, an object is a constituent that is affected by, receives, or is targeted by the action or state expressed by a verb. Objects commonly appear with transitive verbs, though some verbs allow optional or multiple objects. The basic notion of an object contrasts with the subject, which typically performs or instigates the action. For a concise reference on basic terminology see basic grammar terms.

Major types of object

Grammars usually distinguish several types of objects:

  • Direct object: names the thing or person directly affected by the verb (e.g., "She read the book").
  • Indirect object: indicates the recipient, beneficiary, or target of the action (e.g., "He gave her a gift").
  • Prepositional object (object of a preposition): appears after a preposition and functions as an object in some constructions (e.g., "She relied on advice").
  • Clausal object: a subordinate clause that functions as an object (e.g., "They believe that she will come").

How objects are identified

Linguists use several diagnostic tests to identify objects. Common tests include passivization (the direct object of an active sentence often becomes the subject of the passive), pronominalization (objects can be replaced by appropriate object pronouns), and omission (in many languages, indirect objects may be optional while direct objects are necessary for transitive verbs). For more on syntactic tests, consult syntactic diagnostics and related resources at clause structure guides.

Position, case, and cross-linguistic variation

The way objects are marked and ordered varies widely across languages. In English, objects typically follow the verb and do not carry a special case ending; English relies on word order and prepositions (e.g., "to my son") to signal roles. Other languages mark objects with morphological case (accusative, dative), or use distinct word orders to distinguish direct from indirect objects. Some languages allow "free" or flexible object omission (pro-drop) or have distinct agreement patterns between verb and object. Comparative descriptions can be found at typology resources.

Object complements and special constructions

Certain verbs take an object plus an additional element that complements or modifies that object (object complement), for example: "They elected her president." Some languages permit ditransitive constructions with two objects (subject–verb–indirect object–direct object), while others prefer a prepositional dative ("I sent a letter to my son"). These alternations are often discussed under verb valency and argument structure; see valency and argument structure for further reading.

Importance and common confusions

Understanding objects is important for parsing sentence structure, forming passives, choosing correct pronouns, and learning second-language patterns. Common confusions include mistaking objects for complements or confusing indirect objects with objects of prepositions; tests such as omission and passivization help clarify these distinctions. In pedagogical grammar, explicit examples and practice exercises strengthen learners' grasp of object types and functions.

Note: The labels and diagnostics used here are broadly attested in descriptive grammars, but specific behavior can differ by language and theoretical framework.