Object


Definition of Object: If we ask a verb ‘Whom’ or ‘What’ the answer we get is an object.
Examples:
Boys see the cow.
I am eating food.
They saw him.

Kinds of Object: There are some kinds of object in English.

Direct Object: This usually denotes the name of something.
Example:
He gave me a pen.
I see the sea.
They killed the bird.

Indirect Object: This usually denotes the name of person to whom something is given or for whom something is done.
Example:
They killed him.
He called me.
I like them.

Single Object: Single Object means single in number in a sentence.
Example:
I want the book.
He got a letter.

Double Object: Double Object means double in number in a sentence.
Example:
He told us a secret.
The teacher asked him a question.

Cognate Object: Some Intransitive verbs take after them an object similar to the verb. Such an object is called the Cognate Object.
Example:
I slept a sound sleep.
He has fought a good fight.
She dreamt a strange dream.

Factitive Object: Sometimes a transitive verb requires an additional object besides the usual ones to complete the sense. This additional object is called the Factitive Object.
Example:
We made him king.
He called me a fool.
I took him prisoner.

Reflexive Object/Personal Object/ Reflexive Dative: In old English, sometimes an intransitive verb would be followed by an object of the personal pronoun having the same person as the subject. This object was called Reflexive/Personal Object or Reflexive Dative.
Example:
Sit thee down.
She saw herself in the water.
He killed himself.

Dative of Interest: The indirect object which is sometimes placed after verbs, usually taking either no object or only a direct object, in order to express the interest of the same person in the action of the verbs, is called the Dative of Interest or Ethical Dative.
Example:
Pluck me a flower.
Bring me a glass of water.
Build her a house.

Adverbial Object: Sometimes a noun seemingly in the objective case is used adverbially to denote distance, place, time, value, amount, weight, manner, etc. This object is called the adverbial Object.
Example:
He went home.
This will cost fifty dollar.
This school is one mile from here.

Retained Object: Some transitive verbs take two objects after them in the active voice. When the verb is changed into the passive voice, one of the objects becomes the subject. But the other is still retained as the object. The object which is retained is called the Retained Object.
Example:
He gave me a book (Active Voice)
A book was given me by him.
I was given a book by him.

NB: Here in the 2nd &3rd sentence ‘me’ and ‘a book’ is the retained object.

Complementary Object: There are some objects which are placed after ‘to be’ as an additional objects and indicate the first object, this additional object is called Complementary Object. Actually complementary object is always a noun. (S + V + O + to be + Com. Obj.)
Example:
I know him to be a doctor.
He thought me to be a mad.
They found him to be a thief.


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