Clause Pattern: Subject – Verb – Indirect Object – Direct Object (SVO_i O_d )

This pattern consists of a subject A noun phrase (a person or a thing) or a nominal clause normally placed before a verb phrase and which acts as the performer of the verb. more..., a ditransitive A verb which requires a direct object and an indirect object. more... verb, an indirect objectAn indirect object is the "thing" which is indirectly affected by a ditransitive verb. more... and a direct objectA direct object is the "thing" which is directly affected by a transitive verb. It may be a noun, noun phrase, nominal clause, an ing-clause, a to-cause, or a pronoun. more....

• Today wesubject callditransitive verb itindirect object a country’s gross domestic product (GDP)direct object. (Messac 2018)

• But emperor penguins endure it, to giveditransitive verb their chicksindirect object the best start in life direct object. (Younger 2019)

• Isubject write to someone, or sendditransitive verb themindirect object a program, direct object and they would infallibly receive it when they next logged in. (Zobel 2014)

• Often, manuscriptssubject can giveditransitive verb modern readers indirect object an idea of what particular people in the past wanted to readdirect object. (Farina 2022)

Examples with nominal direct objects

• The location of these dotssubject tellsditransitive verb scientists indirect object how the atoms are arranged in the moleculedirect object. (Helms 2022)

• The mix of colors in beach sandsubject tellsditransitive verb you indirect object what kinds of rocks produced itdirect object. (Montgomery 2019)

• Some adultssubject may tellditransitive verb kids indirect object that drinking caffeine will stunt their growthdirect object. (Temple 2020)

Test your understanding of this Subject – Verb – Indirect Object – Direct Object (SVO_i O_d ) pattern Go to the (SVO_i O_d) exercise page.