Verbs Notes: Lessons 9-12
Direct Objects
- The direct object is the receiver of the action. It answers the   question whom or what after
the verb.
- It is always a noun or pronoun
- It cannot be in a prepositional phrase.
To find the direct object you should go through the following steps:
Sample: Worker bees perform many different tasks in the hive.
Step 1: What is the verb?
perform
Step 2: Who does the action? (What is the subject?)
bees
Step 3: The subject does the action to what? In this case - The  bees perform what?
tasks
Indirect Objects
- The indirect object tells who or what was affected by the action.
- Only sentences with direct objects can have indirect objects, but the indirect object comes
first in the sentence.
- Indirect objects answer the questions to or for whom? or to or for  what?
- Indirect objects are always nouns or pronouns.
To find the indirect object first find the direct object:
Sample: I asked Ms. Jackson some questions about spiders.
Verb = asked
Subject = I
Direct Object = questions
Then ask to whom? - Ms. Jackson
Transitive and Intransitive
- verbs can be labeled at Transitive or Intransitive
Transitive Verbs - the action has a receiver. We call the receiver the direct object.
Tyler throws the ball.
Michael runs the race.
Intransitive Verbs - there is no receiver of the action.
- linking verbs are always intransitive.
Katie is fast.
Kelley throws to Lauren.
Predicate Nouns and Predicate Adjectives
When there is a linking verb in a sentence (is, are, was, were, seems, etc.), the linking verbs
connects the subject to a noun that renames it, or to an adjective that describes it.
Predicate noun (also called predicate nominative or subject complement) - renames the
subject.
Predicate adjective - describes the subject
Active and Passive Voice
If a verb is in active voice the subject of the sentence is the doer of the action.
If the verb is in passive voice the subject receives the action. In passive voice the verb will have
a form of be as a helper.
Examples
Her son drove the bus. - active voice
The bus was driven by her son. - passive voice