Question
Is the phrase in bold a direct object, an indirect object, or neither? Ava always buys her family meaningful gifts.
Ask by Ellis Osborne. in the United States
Feb 21,2025
Upstudy AI Solution
Tutor-Verified Answer
Answer
"her family" is an indirect object.
Solution
To determine whether the phrase "her family" is a direct object, an indirect object, or neither, we can analyze the sentence structure.
1. **Identify the verb**: The main verb in the sentence is "buys."
2. **Identify the direct object**: The direct object answers the question "what?" or "whom?" after the verb. In this case, we ask, "What does Ava buy?" The answer is "meaningful gifts." Therefore, "meaningful gifts" is the direct object.
3. **Identify the indirect object**: The indirect object answers the question "to whom?" or "for whom?" the action of the verb is performed. Here, we ask, "For whom does Ava buy meaningful gifts?" The answer is "her family." Therefore, "her family" is the indirect object.
In conclusion, the phrase "her family" is an **indirect object**.
Answered by UpStudy AI and reviewed by a Professional Tutor
Like
error msg


The Deep Dive
The phrase "her family" acts as an indirect object in this sentence because it indicates to whom the meaningful gifts are being bought. Direct objects receive the action of the verb directly, while indirect objects refer to the recipient of that action. In the sentence, "meaningful gifts" is the direct object, as it is what Ava is buying. The indirect object "her family" tells us for whom the gifts are intended. Understanding the roles of these objects can clear up confusion when constructing sentences!