Direct object
Definition
A direct object is the person, thing or idea directly affected by a transitive verb. It usually follows the verb and can often answer who? or what? after that verb.
Examples
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Maya opened the window.
The window is the thing directly affected by opened.
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We enjoyed the film.
The film completes the meaning of the transitive verb enjoyed.
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I called her yesterday.
The object pronoun her identifies the person directly affected by called.
Direct object vs. subject complement
Rina met a doctor.
The doctor is a different participant affected by the action met.
Rina became a doctor.
The noun phrase identifies the same person as the subject Rina.
A direct object participates in an action. A subject complement identifies or describes the subject after a linking verb.
Not every verb takes a direct object
Only transitive uses of verbs take direct objects. Some verbs are intransitive, while others can be transitive or intransitive depending on meaning.
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The baby slept.
Sleep is intransitive here, so there is no direct object.
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The door opened.
Here opened is intransitive; compare Maya opened the door, where the door is an object.
Common mistakes
She explained me the problem.
She explained the problem to me.
In this pattern, the problem is the direct object and to me identifies the recipient.
The room is quiet, so quiet is the direct object.
The room is quiet, so quiet is a subject complement.
After the linking verb is, quiet describes the subject rather than receiving an action.
Quick check
Question 1 of 3
Which phrase is the direct object?
The bicycle is directly affected by repaired.Which sentence contains no direct object?
Laughed is intransitive here and does not take an object.Which sentence contains a subject complement rather than a direct object?
The manager identifies Omar after the linking verb became.Nice work — you've completed the quick check.
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