Some English verbs can connect a subject with two objects in the same clause. In Lena handed the receptionist her passport, the verb handed is followed by the receptionist and her passport. The first identifies the person receiving something, while the second identifies what was handed over.
This is a ditransitive use. Common verbs that can appear in this pattern include give, send, show, lend, tell, teach, offer, and buy.
The two-object structure is useful, but it cannot be applied freely to every verb. A sentence with to or for does not automatically have an equivalent two-object version, and even verbs that allow both patterns may favor one arrangement in a particular context.
What Is a Ditransitive Verb?
A verb is used ditransitively when it takes two objects in the same clause: an indirect object and a direct object.
Amelia sent her brother a photograph.
Here:
- her brother is the indirect object.
- a photograph is the direct object.
The direct object identifies what Amelia sent. The indirect object identifies the recipient.
Another example is:
The instructor taught the group a new technique.
The group is the indirect object, while a new technique is the direct object.
A ditransitive construction is therefore a type of transitive verb pattern, but it contains two objects rather than one.
The Basic Ditransitive Sentence Pattern
A common ditransitive structure is:
Subject + Verb + Indirect Object + Direct Object
For example:
Daniel lent his neighbor a ladder.
| Sentence Part | Example |
|---|---|
| Subject | Daniel |
| Verb | lent |
| Indirect object | his neighbor |
| Direct object | a ladder |
The two objects have different roles.
The direct object is the thing, information, or other element directly involved in the verb’s meaning. The indirect object often identifies a recipient, addressee, or beneficiary.
Compare these examples:
Marcus gave Nina the spare key.
Nina receives the key.
The guide told us the reason for the delay.
Us identifies the people receiving the information.
Rosa baked her parents a pie.
Her parents are the people for whose benefit the pie was baked.
Indirect objects are therefore not limited to people receiving physical things.
Two Ways to Express a Recipient or Beneficiary
Many verbs that allow a double-object construction also allow the recipient or beneficiary to appear in a prepositional phrase.
Compare:
Elena sent her aunt an invitation.
Elena sent an invitation to her aunt.
The basic meaning is similar, but the grammatical structures differ.
The first sentence follows:
verb + indirect object + direct object
The second follows:
verb + direct object + prepositional phrase
In the first sentence, her aunt is the indirect object.
In the second, her aunt is the object of the preposition to. The whole phrase to her aunt expresses the recipient.
Some traditional explanations use indirect object more loosely for the recipient in both versions. Keeping the two structures separate, however, makes the grammar easier to see.
When the Alternative Uses to
With many verbs involving transfer or communication, the alternative construction uses to.
Chloe showed her colleague the revised design.
Chloe showed the revised design to her colleague.
Other verbs that can occur in similar patterns include:
- give
- hand
- lend
- offer
- pass
- promise
- send
- show
- teach
- tell
- write
The available alternatives depend on the verb and the meaning in which it is being used.
When the Alternative Uses for
When someone benefits from something being made, obtained, prepared, or saved, the alternative often uses for.
Aaron cooked his guests dinner.
Aaron cooked dinner for his guests.
Other verbs that can appear in similar constructions include:
- book
- buy
- cook
- find
- get
- make
- pour
- save
In these patterns, to commonly introduces a recipient or destination, while for commonly introduces a beneficiary.
Common Ditransitive Verbs With Examples
The following verbs can appear naturally in a two-object construction in appropriate meanings.
| Verb | Ditransitive Example |
|---|---|
| ask | The reporter asked the mayor a difficult question. |
| bring | Owen brought his grandmother some fresh flowers. |
| buy | Carla bought her son a new backpack. |
| cook | Jamie cooked the family a vegetable stew. |
| give | The receptionist gave each visitor a badge. |
| hand | Theo handed the mechanic the wrench. |
| lend | Sofia lent me her umbrella. |
| make | Priya made her friend a cup of tea. |
| offer | The airline offered the passengers a refund. |
| pass | Mia passed her teammate the ball. |
| promise | Daniel promised his daughter a bicycle. |
| send | The office sent every applicant a confirmation email. |
| show | Leo showed his classmates the finished model. |
| teach | Ms. Harris taught the children a new song. |
| tell | Ava told her brother the whole story. |
| write | Ben wrote his grandfather a long letter. |
A verb’s appearance in this table does not mean that it must always have two objects. These examples show specifically ditransitive uses.
Not Every Verb Allows Both Patterns
A common mistake is to assume that any verb followed by direct object + to/for phrase can be rearranged into a double-object sentence.
That is not how English works.
Consider explain:
Maya explained the problem to us.
Standard English does not normally use:
Maya explained us the problem.
The same restriction appears with donate:
The company donated several computers to the school.
Not:
The company donated the school several computers.
And with describe:
Noah described the building to me.
Not:
Noah described me the building.
The contrast between say and tell is especially useful:
Ella said something to me.
Ella told me something.
Tell allows the two-object pattern in this use. Say normally does not.
So the existence of a to or for phrase does not tell you whether a verb can be ditransitive. That pattern depends on the individual verb and, in some cases, the particular meaning being expressed.
Why Word Order Sometimes Changes
When a verb allows both constructions, grammar is not the only factor affecting the choice. Length, emphasis, and pronouns can make one arrangement sound more natural than the other.
Short Recipient Pronouns Often Fit Naturally Before the Direct Object
Grace sent me the schedule.
The librarian read them another chapter.
Short forms such as me, him, her, us, and them often work smoothly in the indirect-object position.
Long Recipient Phrases Often Work Better at the End
Consider:
The coordinator sent everyone who had registered for the Saturday workshop the updated instructions.
The sentence is possible, but the long indirect object separates the verb from the updated instructions.
This version is easier to process:
The coordinator sent the updated instructions to everyone who had registered for the Saturday workshop.
Moving the longer information toward the end often produces a more natural sentence.
A Pronoun as the Direct Object Can Favor the Prepositional Pattern
Suppose the spare key has already been mentioned:
Could you give it to Rachel?
In general standard English, this is more natural than:
Could you give Rachel it?
Pronoun combinations and regional usage can vary, but direct object pronoun + to/for phrase is often the clearer choice in general English.
Two Elements After a Verb Do Not Always Make It Ditransitive
A verb can be followed by two important elements without having an indirect object and a direct object.
Consider:
The committee elected Jordan treasurer.
Jordan is the direct object.
Treasurer identifies the role assigned to Jordan. It functions as an object complement, not as a second object.
Now compare:
The committee gave Jordan an award.
Here:
- Jordan is the indirect object.
- an award is the direct object.
That is a ditransitive construction.
An adjective can also function as an object complement:
The news made Lena anxious.
Lena is the direct object, while anxious describes Lena.
Object-complement constructions are usually treated separately as complex-transitive patterns. They should not be confused with the indirect-object + direct-object structure of a ditransitive clause.
A Verb That Can Be Ditransitive May Also Take One Object
Verbs that allow two objects do not have to use that pattern every time.
Compare:
Hannah sent her cousin the documents.
Here, sent is used ditransitively.
Now consider:
Hannah sent the documents yesterday.
Only the direct object the documents is expressed. The recipient is left unstated.
The same applies to write:
Oliver wrote his mother a note.
Oliver wrote a note during lunch.
The first sentence contains two objects. The second contains one.
It is therefore more accurate to talk about a verb’s ditransitive use in a sentence than to assume that a verb must always appear with the same number of objects.
What Happens to Ditransitive Constructions in Passive Voice?
Ditransitive verbs can produce more than one passive arrangement because the active sentence contains two participants besides the subject.
Start with:
The company offered Maya a new position.
A very natural passive version makes the recipient the subject:
Maya was offered a new position.
The same event can also be expressed with the position as the subject and the recipient in a to phrase:
A new position was offered to Maya.
These versions shift attention to different parts of the event.
The second construction should not be treated as a simple word-for-word transformation of the original double-object pattern. It uses the related offer something to someone structure.
Passive behavior also varies from one verb to another, so passive voice is not a reliable definition or test of ditransitivity.
The clearest evidence is the active two-object pattern itself:
verb + indirect object + direct object
When a verb naturally occurs in that structure in the meaning being used, the sentence has a clear ditransitive construction.
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