Indirect Objects
• … indicate who benefits from an
action.
• … answer the questions “To whom”
and “For whom” after an action verb.
• … have indirect object pronouns
(IOPs) that replace indirect objects in
a sentence.
Indirect Objects are another
object but are completely
different than directs.
Direct objects are DIRECTLY
affected by the subject and
verb.
She is lending me her earrings.
SUBJECT
The person/thing
performing the action.
SHE
VERB
What is subject is
doing.
IS LENDING
DIRECT
OBJECT
The object affected by
the verb.
HER
EARRINGS
INDIRECT
OBJECT
The person/thing who
benefits from the
action.
(TO) ME
Pause for Practice
Actividad I
In Spanish there are 6 indirect
object pronouns.
• ME • NOS
• TE • OS
• LE • LES
With third person “LE” and “LES”, using an “A”
phrase is helpful to avoid confusion.
Pause for Practice
Actividad II
In Actividad II you saw the use
of what are called “A” phrases.
The “A” phrase in the sentence
defines the indirect object. Its
use is recommended with “LE”
and “LES”.
Sometimes the phrase uses
“PARA” (for) instead of “A” (to)
The “A”/”PARA” phrase in the
sentence is OPTIONAL.
They are used in conjunction with
an IOP. (You can use both in the
same sentence. This is different
than DOPs.)
They do not replace the IOP.
Pause for Practice
Actividad III
To form a sentence using a IOP…
1) Ask yourself “to whom” or “for whom” the action is
performed. That is the INDIRECT OBJECT.
Raúl gives the TV to Paco. To whom does he give the
TV?
Raúl da la tele a Paco.
2) Change the indirect object to a indirect object
pronoun (IOP).
a Paco = le
3) Rewrite the sentence using the IOP instead of the
indirect object.
Raúl le da la tele (a Paco).
Raúl gives the TV to him.
Actividad IV: Translate
We are going to do the first together.
TE
LE
I am writing him
you a
letter.
Translate
Identify
Use
an IOP.
the
using
IOP. the IOP.
To whom and I writing?
TE
(Yo) LE
__ escribo una carta.
OK, I get it. But what happens with the IOP changes?
The placement rules are the same.
1. Place BEFORE a conjugated verb.
2. ATTACH to the end of an infinitive.
3. ATTACH to the end of a present
participle (and add an accent).
4. ATTACH to the end of an affirmative
command (and add an accent if the
command is more than one syllable).