Page 35 - Just Enough English Grammar Illustrated Book

Identify people as direct objects using the question word Whom:

To identify who is receiving the action, place the question word
after the verb.

Example: Ben loves Susan.
Ben loves whom?

Verb Question Word

Identify inanimate things as direct objects with the question
word What:

To identify what is receiving the action, place the question word
after the verb.

Example: Charles writes a book.

Charles writes what?

Verb Question Word
This section explained nouns used as direct objects. The next
section introduces nouns as the object of a preposition.

1.14 Another Type of Object:
Objects of Prepositions
There are two different types of objects. The object described
above receives the action of the verb directly. It is called the
direct object. The other object works together with a preposition.
Prepositions and prepositional phrases are introduced in
Chapter 6. At this point, we will just help you understand how
nouns used as objects of a preposition are employed in a sentence.

Example: around the pool

Preposition Object of Preposition

In the example above, around the pool is a prepositional
phrase that includes the preposition around and the noun pool
as the object of the preposition.
22