What Is a Direct Object?

A complete sentence must have a subject and a verb:

• John eats.
• Lucy watches.
• Cats hunt.

The statements above do meet the requirements of a complete sentence structure, but they might leave us a little curious! We aren't sure what John eats or what (or whom) Lucy watches.

Some sentences offer more than a subject and a verb—and they give us a more complete mental picture. A direct object is a noun (or pronoun) that the verb acts upon. This direct object gives us a better, more complete understanding of what is happening, and clears up the mystery:

• John eats hamburgers.
• Lucy watches airplanes.
• Cats hunt mice.

You can identify a direct object by asking yourself who or what receives the action.