Definition

An indirect object is a noun or pronoun that indicates to or for whom something is done. In other words, it answers the question: To whom or for whom? 

Most of the time, you can identify the indirect object by looking for a preposition before the noun or pronoun. For example, in the sentence "I gave my brother a book," the indirect object is "brother." The preposition "to" is not necessary to identify the indirect object.

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However, sometimes the preposition is not present. In the sentence "She showed me her new car," the word "me" is the indirect object. The word "her" is the direct object. Because there is no preposition, we have to look at the verb to identify the indirect object. The verb in this sentence is "showed."

Some common prepositions that are used with indirect objects are: to, for, with, and by.

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Examples

Here are some examples of sentences with indirect objects:

• I sent a letter to my friend. (The indirect object is "friend." The direct object is "letter.")
• I bought a present for my mother. (The indirect object is "mother." The direct object is "present.")
• They made a cake with chocolate chips. (The indirect object is "chocolate chips." The direct object is "cake.")
• He read the book by J.K. Rowling. (The indirect object is "J.K. Rowling." The direct object is "book.")

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