Prepositional Phrases as Indirect
Objects
1. I should take the gold pieces (DO) {to my father} (IO) . | I should take my father the gold pieces.2. I will give them (DO) {to you} (IO) willingly. | I will give you them willingly.3. I will immediately buy {for my papa} (IO) a beautiful new cloth coat (DO). | I will immediately buy my papa a beautiful new cloth coat.4. He was going to give the piece (DO) {of wood} {to his friend} (IO) . | He was going to give his friend the piece of wood.5. I intend to make a drum [#1] {with it} {for the band} (IO) {of my village}. | I intend to make the band of my village a drum with it.6. Where could you find a better country (DO) {for us boys} (IO) ? | Where could you find us boys a better country?7. *You* Go back and take the four sovereigns (DO) [Adj. to "sovereigns" that you have left [#2] ] {to your poor father} (IO) . | Go back and take your poor father the four sovereigns that you have left.8. He was building a little boat (DO) {for himself} (IO) , to cross the ocean [#3]. | He was building himself a little boat, to cross the ocean.9. The little chicken said {to him} (IO) : "A thousand thanks, Master Pinocchio!" [#4] | ["To him" clearly functions as the indirect object, but "said" apparently takes only prepositional phrases as its indirect object.]10. The Cat bit off one (DO) {of her fore paws} and threw it (DO) {to that poor beast} (IO) [Adv. (purpose) to "bit" and "threw" that he might appease his hunger (DO) ]. | ["Threw that poor beast it" will probably not sound right to most native speakers of English. Note, however, that unlike "said," "threw" will take normal indirect objects -- "Throw him it." is perfectly normal. (Imagine the problem that this gives to non-native speakers of English.)] 2. At this KISS Level, I would simply accept "have left" as the finite verb -- unless someone asked about it. In that case, an explanation is that "left" is a verbal (gerundive) that modifies the "that." The "that" functions as both subordinate conjunction and the direct object of "have" -- You have that left. To see this clearly, students probably need a fair amount of practice with easier gerundive. 3. "Ocean" is the direct object of the verbal (infinitive) "to cross." The infinitive phrase functions as an adjective to "boat" and/or as an adverb to "was building." 4. The words in quotation marks are, of course, the direct object of "said." "Thanks" is the direct object of an ellipsed "I give you." "Master Pinocchio" is direct address. |