Direct Object

The Direct Object
Test for identifying direct objects in English

• Passivization:
  The direct object of an active sentence appears as the subject in a passive sentence.
  Active: Pat wrote a letter.
Passive: A letter was written by Pat.
  Post-verbal NPs that are not direct objects do not passivize:
  Pat will always remain a good friend. * A good friend will always be remained by Pat.

Categories and structural position

• The direct object is an NP in accusative case. It can also be an S'.


• It is a sister of V and dominated by a VP.


• A direct object that is an S' can be identified by the following criteria:
The S' can be replaced with this, such that this satisfies the criteria for an NP direct object:
Pat thinks [S': that Kim is late], and I think this, too.
• Passivization is possible:
  Pat believes [S': that Kim is late]. -> [S':That Kim is late] is believed (by Pat).

Example:

             _S_
            /   \
           /    AuxP
          /     /  \
       subj    /   VP
        /     /   /  \
       /     /   /  dir.obj
      /     /   /      \
    NP   Aux   V     __NP__
   /__\   |    |    /______\
   Pat  will write  a letter.

1. The predicate
   
2. The subject
   
3. The complements
   
   1. The direct object
      
   2. The indirect object
      
   3. The predicative complement
      
   4. The oblique complement
      
4. Modifiers (Adjuncts)
   

  ← Predicate        ↑ Grammatical Functions          → Indirect Object