Transitive verbs, objects, and complements

Direct object

A transitive verb takes a direct object, a word or word group that names a receiver of the action.

Example sentence: The hungry cat clawed the bag of dry food. Explanation: The subject is The hungry cat; the verb is clawed; and the direct object is the bag of dry food.

The simple direct object is always a noun, such as bag, or a pronoun. To find it, simply strip away all modifiers.

Active voice

Transitive verbs usually appear in the active voice, with the subject doing the action and a direct object receiving the action.

ACTIVE VOICE

Example sentence: The early bird sometimes catches the early worm. Explanation: The subject, birds, performs the action, catches.

Passive transformation

Active-voice sentences can be transformed into the passive voice, with the subject receiving the action instead.

PASSIVE VOICE

Example sentence: The early worm is sometimes caught by the early bird. Explanation: The subject, worm, receives the action, is caught.

What was once the direct object (the early worm) has become the subject in the passive-voice transformation, and the original subject appears in a prepositional phrase beginning with by.

The by phrase is frequently omitted in passive-voice constructions:

Example sentence: The early worm is sometimes caught. Explanation: The by phrase is omitted in this passive-voice sentence.

Active vs. passive voice

Direct objects and indirect objects

The direct object of a transitive verb is sometimes preceded by an indirect object, a noun or pronoun telling to whom or for whom the action of the sentence is done.

Example sentence: You give her some yarn, and she will knit you a scarf. Explanation: In the first clause, the subject is You, the verb is give, the indirect object is her, and the direct object is some yarn. (You give her some yarn.) In the second clause, the subject is she, the verb is will knit, the indirect object is you, and the direct object is a scarf. (She will knit you a scarf.)

Direct objects and object complements

The direct object of a transitive verb is sometimes followed by an object complement, a word or word group that completes the direct object’s meaning by renaming or describing it.

Example sentence: People often consider chivalry a thing of the past. Explanation: The subject is People, the verb is consider, the direct object is chivalry, and the object complement is a thing of the past. (People often consider chivalry a thing of the past.)

Example sentence: The kiln makes clay firm and strong. Explanation: The subject is The kiln, the verb is makes, the direct object is clay, the object complement is firm and strong. (The kiln makes clay firm and strong.)

When the object complement renames the direct object, it is a noun (such as thing) or pronoun. When it describes the direct object, it is an adjective (such as firm and strong).

Exercise: Indirect objects and object complements

Exercise: All objects and complements

Exercise: Linking, transitive, and intransitive verbs

noun The name of a person, place, thing, or an idea.

pronoun A word used in place of a noun. Usually the pronoun substitutes for a specific noun, known as its antecedent.

noun The name of a person, place, thing, or an idea.

pronoun A word used in place of a noun. Usually the pronoun substitutes for a specific noun, known as its antecedent.

adjective A word that modifies or describes a noun or pronoun: lame, old, rare, beautiful; also the articles a, an, the.