Direct & Indirect Objects — Verbs with Two Objects

Lesson Goal:

Recognise and use verbs that take two objects correctly — a direct object (thing) and an indirect object (person who receives it).

1. Warm-Up (3 min)

🗣️ Discuss:

1. What’s the best gift you’ve ever received?

2. Who gives you the best advice?

3. Have you ever sent someone an important message?

💬 Sample answers:

My friend gave me a book for my birthday.
My teacher taught us English.
I sent my parents a postcard from Italy.

🎯 Focus: Learners naturally use two objects — a person and a thing.

2. Presentation (8 min)

A. What Are Objects?

• Direct object: the thing that receives the action.

• Indirect object: the person who receives the thing.

💬 Example:

She gave me a gift.
→ me = indirect object (the person)
→ a gift = direct object (the thing)

B. Word Order Patterns

✅ Pattern 1: Subject + Verb + Indirect Object + Direct Object

She gave me a book.
He told us a story.

✅ Pattern 2: Subject + Verb + Direct Object + to/for + Indirect Object

She gave a book to me.
He made a cake for her.

🧠 Tip:
Use to for verbs like give, send, show, tell, write.
Use for for verbs like make, buy, cook, get.

C. Common Verbs with Two Objects

+ TO+ FORgivemakesendbuyshowcooktellgetwritefindlendbuildoffersave

💬 Examples:

I sent my friend a photo. / I sent a photo to my friend.
She made her brother a sandwich. / She made a sandwich for her brother.

D. ⚠️ Common Mistake Alert

❌ I explained him the problem.
✅ I explained the problem to him.
→ Explain always needs to, not a double-object form.

3. Controlled Practice (5 min)

Complete the sentences with the correct form:
(use the correct object order or “to/for” where necessary)

1. He gave ___ (I) ___ nice compliment.

2. She made ___ (her parents) ___ cake for their anniversary.

3. Can you show ___ (we) ___ your photos?

4. I sent ___ (my boss) ___ email yesterday.

5. They offered ___ (us) ___ free drinks.

6. He wrote ___ (his teacher) ___ letter of thanks.

7. I bought ___ (my sister) ___ souvenir from Barcelona.

8. Please tell ___ (them) ___ truth.

✅ Answers + Explanations

1. me a → He gave me a nice compliment. (give → person + thing)

2. her parents a → She made her parents a cake. (make → for someone, but double object is fine)

3. us → Can you show us your photos? (show → person + thing)

4. my boss an → I sent my boss an email. (send → to someone)

5. us → They offered us free drinks. (offer → person + thing)

6. his teacher a → He wrote his teacher a letter. (write → to someone)

7. my sister a → I bought my sister a souvenir. (buy → for someone)

8. them the → Please tell them the truth. (tell → person + thing)

🧠 If using prepositions:
He gave a nice compliment to me.
She made a cake for her parents.

4. Transformation Practice (5 min)

Rewrite each sentence with to or for:

1. She gave me a book. → ________________________

2. He bought his mum a scarf. → ________________________

3. I told them the secret. → ________________________

4. We made the kids dinner. → ________________________

5. He sent me a text. → ________________________

💬 Sample Answers:

1. She gave a book to me.

2. He bought a scarf for his mum.

3. I told the secret to them.

4. We made dinner for the kids.

5. He sent a text to me.

5. Engaging Discussion (5 min)

🗣️ Answer with two objects in your sentence:

1. Who usually gives you presents?

2. Have you ever lent a friend money?

3. When was the last time you wrote someone a message?

4. Who taught you English?

5. Has anyone ever offered you help when you needed it?

6. What do you often cook or make for others?

💬 Encourage:

My parents gave me a bike when I was 10.
I lent my friend some money last year.

6. Extra Discussion (3–4 min)

💬 Deeper prompts:

1. Do you prefer giving or receiving gifts? Why?

2. What’s something nice someone has done for you recently?

3. If you could offer someone advice, what would it be?

4. What’s the best thing you’ve ever made for someone?

🎯 Goal: build fluency using double-object sentences naturally.

7. Wrap-Up & Review (2 min)

🧾 Quick Recap:

TermDefinitionExampleDirect ObjectThe thing that receives the actionI gave him a gift.Indirect ObjectThe person who receives the thingI gave him a gift.StructureS + V + IO + DO / S + V + DO + to/for + IOI sent her a photo. / I sent a photo to her.

💬 Mini Challenge:
Say 3 sentences about your life using verbs with two objects.

I showed my friend my new car.
I bought my sister some chocolate.
I sent a message to my boss.