Direct Objects and Indirect Objects

Question 1

What are direct objects are

Answer 1

Direct objects are nouns that receive the action of a verb. They usually answer the question quoi? (what?) or qui? (whom?).
In the English sentence Jennifer buys a car, a car is the direct object of the verb buys. Direct object pronouns replace direct object nouns: Jennifer buys it. In French, the direct object pronoun is placed before the conju- gated verb form.

1. ) Je le lis (I read it)
   1a. ) Je lis le mail (I read the e-mail)
   1b. ) Je lis l’article (m) (I read the article)
   1c. ) Je lis le journal (I read the paper)
2. ) Je la regarde (I watch [look at] it)
   2a. ) Je regarde la télé (I watch television)
   2b. ) Je regarde l’étoile (f) (I look at the star)
   2c. ) Je regarde la lune (I look at the moon)

Question 2

Direct objects
Singular
•Me
•you
•him, it
•her, it

Plural
•us
•you
•them
•them

Answer 2

Direct objects
Singular
•Me (me/m’)
•you (te/t’)
•him, it (le/l’)
•her, it (la/l’)

Plural
•us (nous)
•you (vous)
•them (them)
•them (them)

Question 3

What third person singular and plural direct objects replace the nouns

Answer 3

Third-person direct object pronouns agree in gender and number with the nouns they replace.
•le (l’) replaces a masculine singular noun
•la (l’) replaces a feminine singular noun
•les replaces any plural noun

*Vous retrouvez Luc et Sophie? (Are you meeting Luc and Sophie?)
Oui, nous les retrouvons à midi. (Yes, we’re meeting them at noon)
*Roger commande la crème brûlée? (Is Roger ordering the crème brûlée?)
Oui, il la commande. (We, he’s ordering it)

Question 4

Direct object for me, you, him, and her

Answer 4

Me, te, le, and la become m’, t’, and l’ before a vowel or a mute h. In the case of l’, context reveals the antecedent (the noun it replaces).

• Je l’achète (I’m buying it)
• Paul t’aime bien (Paul likes you)
• La science m’intéresse beaucoup (Science interests me a lot)

Question 5

What happens if the direct onject pronoun is the object of an infinitive

Answer 5

If the direct object pronoun is the object of an infinitive, it precedes the infinitive.

• Elles vont prendre le métro (They are going to take the metro)
• Elle vont le prendre (They’re going to take it)

Question 6

Where does the direct object go in the negative

Answer 6

In the negative, the direct object pronoun precedes the verb form of which it is the object.

1a. ) Tu ne regardes pas la télé (You don’t watch TV)
1b. ) Tu ne la regardes pas (You don’t watch it)
2a. ) Je ne vais pas acheter le gâteau (I’m not going to buy the cake)
2b. ) Je ne vais pas l’acheter (I’m not going to buy it)

Question 7

Direct objects pronouns also

Answer 7

Direct object pronouns also precede voici (here is/are) and voilà (there is/ are). Voici and voilà are used to present or point out people or objects.

Question 8

There he (it) is!

Answer 8

Le voilà!

Question 9

Here I am!

Answer 9

Me voici!

Question 10

What are indirect object nouns

Answer 10

Indirect object nouns and pronouns usually answer the questions to whom? or for whom? Indirect objects refer to persons, sometimes to pets. In English, the word to is often omitted: I give the gift to Josette. 􏰆 I give Josette the gift.

Question 11

What is used before an indirect object noun

Answer 11

In French, the preposition à (occasionally pour) is used before an indi- rect object noun. If a sentence has an indirect object noun, it usually also has a direct object.

• Tu montres les photos aux voisins? (You’re showing the photos to the neighbors?)
• On achète un foluard pour Tante Simone? (Are we buying a scarf for Aunt Simone?)

Question 12

Verbs that only use indirect object

Answer 12

• parler à (to talk to)
• téléphoner à (to call, phone)
• répondre à (to answer)

Question 13

Indirect object pronouns replace

Answer 13

Indirect object nouns. Like the equivalent nouns, they refer only to persons.

Question 14

Indirect objects
Singular
•(To/for) me
•(To/for) you
•(To/for) him/her (m,f)

Plural
•(To/for) us
•(To/for) you
•(To/for) them (m,f)

Answer 14

Indirect objects
Singular
•(To/for) me= me/m’
•(To/for) you= te/t’
•(To/for) him/her (m,f)= lui

Plural
•(To/for) us= nous
•(To/for) you= vous
•(To/for) them (m,f)= leur

Question 15

What happens to -e when combined with (m’,t’)

Answer 15

As usual, the letter -e is dropped (m’, t’) before a vowel or a mute h.

• Dorothée m’envoie deux mails par jour.(Dorothée sends me two e-mails a day.)
• Je t’offre une semaine de vacances.(I’m offering you a week of vacation.)

Question 16

Where is the indirect object pronoun in the sentence

Answer 16

The indirect object pronoun is placed before the conjugated verb. If the verb is followed by an infinitive, the indirect object pronoun precedes the infinitive.

• Je lui prépare deux gâteaux délicieux. (I’m preparing two delicious cakes for him/her.)
• Tes parents? Marc veut bien leur répondre. (Your parents? Marc is willing to answer them.)

Question 17

What happens to the indirect object pronoun in a negative sentence

Answer 17

In the negative, the pronoun precedes the verb of which it is the object. The negative construction surrounds the verb being negated.

• Elle ne lui téléphone pas (She does not phone him)
• Elle ne va pas lui écrire (She’s not going to write him)