Understanding SVOO Sentence Structure: Direct and Indirect Objects

Why Understanding Grammar Important in TOEFL?

In the traditional TOEFL format, precise grammatical knowledge wasn’t tested directly. As a result, many test takers could rely on their overall language ability without consciously analyzing grammar rules.

It’s true that you needed to produce grammatically correct responses in the Speaking and Writing sections. However, you didn’t necessarily need to fully understand the rules behind those structures as long as you could produce natural and accurate sentences.

In the new TOEFL format, however, certain tasks require a more explicit understanding of grammar, particularly in Reading Part 1 and Writing Part 1.

Of course, you don’t need to memorize every detail of English grammar; nevertheless, having a solid understanding of basic grammar will help you handle these tasks more confidently and efficiently.

Five Sentence Constructions

In English grammar, any clause that follows one of the structures below can function as an independent clause, also known as a complete sentence:

• SV (Subject-Verb)
• SVC (Subject-Verb-Complement)
• SVO (Subject-Verb-Object)
• SVOO (Subject-Verb-Indirect Object-Direct Object)
• SVOC (Subject-Verb-Object-Complement)

Which structure is used is primarily determined by the main verb in the sentence. For example, the verb “run” is an intransitive verb and typically appears in the SV structure. In contrast, the verb “study” can appear in both SV and SVO structures, depending on the intended meaning.

These patterns help us distinguish complete sentences from incomplete ones. Among the five sentence structures, perhaps SV, SVC, and SVO are relatively easy to understand. However, the last two, SVOO and SVOC, are less straightforward.

In this article, we will focus on the SVOO structure, examining how it’s formed and what the two objects represent.

Simple Explanation of SVOO

First things first, SVOO stands for Subject, Verb, Indirect Object, and Direct Object.

This structure is used when a verb takes two objects: a person (or recipient) and a thing. In other words, it describes a situation where something is given, sent, shown, taught, or communicated to someone.

Here’s an example of SVOO sentence structure:

She gave me a book.

• Subject: She
• Verb: gave
• Indirect Object: me
• Direct Object: a book

Here, “me” is the person who receives something, and “a book” is the thing that is given.

Meaning of Indirect and Direct Objects

You can think of the indirect object as the recipient of the action expressed by the verb. In most cases, the indirect object is a person who receives something.

The direct object, on the other hand, is the thing that is given, sent, shown, or communicated. It represents what is transferred to the indirect object.

The basic idea can be summarized as follows:

• Indirect object: The person (or sometimes a thing) that receives something.
• Direct object: The thing that is transferred to the indirect object.

Only Specific Verbs Can Take the SVOO Structure

Note that the structure a sentence can take is largely determined by the verb used. For example, intransitive verbs such as “run,” “sleep,” and “rise” typically appear in the SV structure because they don’t take an object.

In contrast, transitive verbs require at least one object to complete their meaning. Therefore, sentences with transitive verbs usually follow the SVO structure. Some transitive verbs can also take two objects, forming the SVOO structure, while others may take an object complement, forming the SVOC structure.

Now, let’s look at some verbs that are commonly used in the SVOO structure.

Verbs That Can Take the SVOO Structure

Verbs that form SVOO sentences can be broadly divided into three types:

• giving verbs
• communication verbs
• creating verbs.

Giving Verbs

When a giving verb is used, the indirect object is usually the recipient that is, the person who receives something. The direct object is the thing that is given to the indirect object.

The verbs in the following list often take the SVOO structure:

Here are some example sentences that use verbs from the list above.

My friend lent me a house because I was completely new to this town.

In the sentence above, “My friend lent me a house” follows the SVOO structure:

• Subject: My friend
• Verb: lend
• Indirect object (recipient): me
• Direct object (what to be given): a house

The king granted me the title of Knight.

Giving verbs don’t necessarily have to be a verb to provide a physical object to someone; indeed, the title can be given to a person as illustrated in the sentence above.

• Subject: The king
• Verb: granted
• Indirect object (recipient): me
• Direct object (what to be given): the title of Knight.

Communication Verbs

As the name suggests, communication verbs are used to express the conveyance of information or ideas to someone.

The communication verbs in the following list often take the SVOO structure:

Note that although the verb “explain” may seem like a communication verb that could take two objects, it does not. If you try to use “explain” in an SVOO structure, the sentence becomes ungrammatical.

× He explained me the problem.

Like other SVO sentences, you need to use a preposition when indicating the person who receives the information.

✓ He explained the problem to me.

Creating Verbs

Creating verbs refer to actions that involve making or preparing something. When these verbs are used in the SVOO structure, the indirect object is the person who receives what is made, and the direct object is the thing that is created or prepared.

The verbs in the following list often take the SVOO structure:

Let’s look at some example sentences.

She made me dinner.

• Subject: She
• Verb: made
• Indirect object (beneficiary): me
• Direct object (what to be given): dinner

The company built the refugees temporary residences.

The verb “build” can take both the SVO and SVOO structures, depending on the intended meaning.

• Subject: The company
• Verb: built
• Indirect object (beneficiary): the refugees
• Direct object (what to be given): temporary residences