Object pronouns vs. subject pronouns:

While subject pronouns serve as the subject of a verb, object pronouns serve as the verb's object.

Review the sentences below to make sure you know which pronouns in English are subjects and which are objects. Move your mouse over each sentence to check your answers.

Direct vs. indirect object pronouns:

Actually, there are two kinds of objects of verbs: direct and indirect. As their names indicate, direct objects are the direct recipients of a verb's action, while indirect objects receive the action indirectly, and often follow prepositions in English. In the sentence ...

WE SENT THEM A LETTER AND THEY SENT US MONEY.

... the nouns LETTER and MONEY are the direct recipients of the action ofthe verb TO SEND. They are DIRECT OBJECTS in this sentence.

The pronouns THEM and US receive the action less directly. Note that the word TO could be inserted before each of them:

We sent a letter TO them and they sent money TO us.

The pronouns THEM and US are INDIRECT OBJECTS in this sentence.

Now you try. Study the sentences below and see how many DIRECT and INDIRECT OBJECTS you can identify (remember that objects of verbs can be either nouns or pronouns). Roll your mouse over each sentence to check your answers.