Verbs which can have two objects: ditransitive verbs

3.74 Sometimes you may want to talk about an event which involves someone in addition to the people or things that are the subject and object of the clause. This third participant is someone who benefits from the action or receives something as a result. They become the indirect object of the clause. The direct object, as usual, is the poison or thing that something is done to. For example, in 'I gave John a book', 'John' is the indirect object and 'the book' is the direct object.

Verbs which can take both a direct object and an indirect object are called ditransitive verbs.

The indirect object is put immediately after the verb group, in front of the direct object.

Dad gave me a car.

Dr Robey handed David a price of string.

She brought me a boiled egg and toast.

He had lent Tim the money.

A man promised him a job.

indirect objects in prepositional phrases 3.75 Instead of putting the indirect object in front of the direct object, it is possible to put it in a prepositional phrase that comes after the direct object.

He handed his room key to the receptionist.

Ralph passed a message to Jack.

He gave it to me.

This structure is used particularly in cases where you want to focus on the indirect object. You can use it, for example, when the indirect object is significantly longer than the direct object.

He had taught English to all the youth of Ceylon and India.

The Express offered $100 to any reader who could relate what Bal had said.

3.76 It is normal to use this prepositional structure when the direct object is a pronoun such as 'it' or 'them'.

I took the bottle and offered it to Oakley.

Woodward finished the second page and passed it to the editor.

It was the only pound he had and he gave it to the little boy.

God has sent you to me.

This is because pronouns usually refer to things that have already been mentioned, that is, to information that is known to your hearer or reader. In English, new information usually comes at the end of the clause. So, when the indirect object is new information and the direct object is not, the indirect object is put at the end of the clause.

Note that in informal spoken English, some people put the indirect object in front of the direct object when both objects are pronouns. For example, some people say 'He gave me it' rather than 'He gave it to me'. Both pronouns are unstressed and both refer to information that is already known, and so it does not matter what order they come in.

3.77 If you want to put the indirect object in a prepositional phrase, you use the preposition 'to' with some verbs, especially ones where the direct object is something which is transferred from one person to another.

Mr Schell wrote a letter the other day to the New York Times.

I had lent my apartment to a friend for the weekend.

I took out the black box and handed it to her.

Here is a list of verbs which can have an indirect object introduced by 'to':

accord advance award bring deal feed forward

give grant hand lease leave lend loan

mail offer owe pass pay play post

quote read rent repay sell send serve

show sing take leach tell write

3.78 If the action you are describing involves one person doing something which will benefit another person, you can use the preposition 'for' to introduce the indirect object.

He left a note for her on the table.

He poured more champagne for the three of them.

He had saved an apple for the beggar.

Here is a list of verbs which can have an indirect object introduced by 'for':

book bring build buy cash cook cut

design fetch find fix get guarantee keep

leave make mix order paint pick play

pour prepare reserve save secure set sing

spare take win write

USAGE NOTE 3.79 Note that the verbs 'bring', 'leave', 'play', 'sing', 'take', and 'write' are in both of the lists (3.77 and 3.78). That is because there are a few verbs which can take either 'to' or 'for' in front of the indirect object, depending on the meaning you want to express. For example, 'Karen wrote a letter to her boyfriend' means that the letter was addressed to her boyfriend and was for him to read, 'Karen wrote a letter for her boyfriend' means that her boyfriend wanted to send someone else a letter and Karen was the person who actually wrote it.

USAGE NOTE 3.80 There are some ditransitive verbs where the indirect object almost always comes in front of the direct object rather than being introduced by 'to' or 'for'. For example, you say 'He begrudged his daughter the bread she ate' and 'She allowed her son only two pounds a week'. It would be very unusual indeed to say 'She allowed two pounds a week to her son'.

Here is a list of verbs which do not usually have their indirect object introduced by 'to' or 'for':

allow ask begrudge

bet cause charge

cost deny draw

envy forgive grudge

promise refuse

Note that 'wish' can be used as this sort of ditransitive verb when its direct object is a word or phrase like 'luck', 'good luck', or 'happy birthday'.

3.81 When you use a passive form of a ditransitive verb, either the direct object or the indirect object can become the subject. See 10.20 for full information.

USAGE NOTE 3.82 When the subject and the indirect object refer to the same person, you can use a reflexive pronoun as the indirect object.

Rose bought herself a piece of cheese for lunch.

He had got himself a car.

He cooked himself an omelette.

Reflexive pronouns are explained in paragraphs 1.115 to 1.122.

transitive uses 3.83 Most of the verbs listed above as ditransitive verbs can be used with the same meaning with just a direct object.

He left a note.

She fetched a jug from the kitchen.

However, the following verbs always or usually have both a direct object and an indirect object:

accord advance allow

deny feed give

hand lend loan

save show tell

write

A few verbs can be used with the person who benefits from the action, or receives something, as the direct object.

I fed the baby when she woke.

I forgive you.

Here is a list of these verbs:

ask envy

feed forgive

pay teach