Lesson 2: The Direct Object
Noun Roles (Round 2)
We will soon encounter our second of five sentence patterns: S-Vt-DO. But first, we need to learn what the DO (direct object) is.
Direct Object (DO)
We have already mentioned objects when looking at transitive verbs and discussing objective pronouns. There are a few types of object nouns, and they are distinguished, like so many other things in grammar, by how they function in a sentence.
The Direct Object is the noun that receives the action of the verb. Let’s take a look at Proverbs 13:21a:
“Disaster pursues sinners…”
What is the subject of this sentence? Disaster
What is the verb? pursues
Does the verb transfer its action to someone or something? Yes, “pursues” is transferring its action to the word “sinners.” Therefore we have a transitive verb.
What or who is being pursued? sinners. (Changing the verb to passive voice and asking a question as I have done here can be a helpful way to identify the direct object.)
So we would parse this sentence as follows:
Now let’s parse Provebs 10:12a:
“Hatred stirs up strife…”
What is the subject of the sentence? Hatred
What is the verb? stirs up
Does the verb transfer its action to someone or something? Yes, to “strife.” Therefore we have a transitive verb.
What is being stirred up? Strife. (Again, changing the verb to passive voices helps identify the direct object.)
So we parse this sentence:
Greek note: The direct object is in the accusative case.