Collins Cobuild

Unit 52
Verbs with two objects
Main points
Some verbs have two objects, a direct object and an indirect object.
The indirect object can be used without a preposition, or after ‘to’
or ‘for’.
1
Some verbs have two objects after them, a direct object and an indirect
object. For example, in the sentence ‘I gave John the book’, ‘the book’
is the direct object. ‘John’ is the indirect object. Verbs that have two
objects are sometimes called ‘ditransitive’ verbs or ‘double-transitive’
verbs.
His uncle had given him books on India.
She sends you her love.
I passed him the cup.
2
When the indirect object is a pronoun, or another short noun group
such as a noun with ‘the’, you put the indirect object in front of the
direct object.
Dad gave me a car.
You promised the lad a job.
He had lent my cousin the money.
She bought Dave and me an ice cream.

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3
You can also use the prepositions ‘to’ and ‘for’ to introduce the indirect
object. If you do this, you put the preposition and indirect object after
the direct object.
Jonathon handed his room key to the receptionist.
Bill saved the last piece of chocolate cake for the children.
When the indirect object consists of several words, you normally use a
preposition to introduce it.
She taught physics and chemistry to pupils at the local school. I  made  that
lamp for a seventy-year-old woman.
You often use a preposition when you want to emphasize the indirect
object.
Did you really buy that for me?
Give the book to me!
4
 With  some  verbs  you  can  only  use  ‘for’,  not  ‘to’,  to  introduce  the
indirect object.
book buy
cook
cut
find
keep make paint pour prepare
save
win
They booked a place for me.
My sister helped me find the money for a private operation.
The two children bought a present for their teacher.
She sat down and painted a picture for her father.
5
With some verbs you normally use ‘to’ to introduce the indirect object.
give
lend offer pass pay
post

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promise read sell send show teach
tell
I had lent my bicycle to a friend.
Ralph passed a message to Jack.
They told me they posted the letter to me last week.
He sold it to me.
Note  that  you  can  use  ‘for’  with  these  verbs,  but  it  has  a  different
meaning. ‘For’ indicates that one person does something on behalf of
another person, so that the other person does not have to do it.
His mother paid the bill for him.
If you’re going out, can you post this for me, please?

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