English Grammar: Direct Object

In this video, learn about the direct object and how it functions in a sentence.

Check out this video for a refresher on subjects and verbs.

What is a direct object?

The direct object receives the action in the sentence. The subject does the verb, and the direct object receives the verb.

Examples of direct objects

Here’s an example sentence that shows you how the direct object functions in a sentence:

He hit the ball. 

Going back to the subject, who hit the ball? He. He hit the ball, so “he” is the subject and “hit” is the verb. To find the direct object, we have to ask ourselves, what did he hit? What is receiving the action (or, the verb) in the sentence? The answer is “the ball.” So, the ball is the direct object.

Here’s another example sentence:

The boy ate the hotdog. 

Can you find the direct object? Watch the video for more information about this example sentence, and to practice building sentences on your own. 🙂