Direct Objects

Sometimes, the subject isn't just being described, but is actually doing something.  The subject is either acting upon an object ("I kicked the ball"), or the subject is not acting upon an object ("The dog slobbered").   In the first case, we have a direct object, "ball."  In the second case, we have no direct object.  A direct object, then, is the thing that receives the action imposed on it by the subject.  The verb is the action being done by the subject onto the object.  

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1) A carpenter and a plumber prepared the room for renovations.
                                                           

  \a               and    |    |                               
                                             \the    \for
   \a                                                                                  \     renovations
                                                                                                                                                       
2) Tom borrowed two ladders and some old canvas.

                                                                      
   |    |       and          \two
                                                                                                                             
                                                                            \some    \old

3) Tom, Diane, and her mother selected curtains for the windows.


                         |                                          
   |    |      
                   and|                                                   \for
                                                   \           windows   
            \her                                                                        \the                                                        
                                                                                 

4) Tom built shelves for the cookbooks.

  |     |  
                                                                       \for
                                                                        \     cookbooks
                                                                                     \the

5) Tom and Diane cleaned the woodwork, cabinets, and floors.

                                                   
                    and|      |          |           
                                           |          and