What is an indirect object?

When we talk about verbs, we often discuss the subject performing the action and the object receiving the action directly. But what about the mysterious recipient known as the indirect object?

The indirect object receives the benefits or consequences of the action performed on the direct object. It comes after the verb and before the direct object, and is often introduced by a preposition like to or for. For example:

Susan gave her mother a gift.

In this sentence, the direct object is a gift, while the indirect object is her mother.

Indirect objects can also be replaced by prepositional phrases, as in:

Robert told me a story.

Robert told a story to me.

Whether you're writing creatively or working on your English grammar, it's important to understand the role of the indirect object and how it contributes to the overall structure of your sentence.