An Advanced English Grammar with Exercises. George Lyman Kittredge
I guaranteed them a handsome profit.
The king vouchsafed them an audience.
It is always possible to insert the preposition to before the indirect object without changing the sense.
Since the indirect object is equivalent to an adverbial phrase, it is classed as a modifier of the verb.
Thus, in “Dick sold John his bicycle,” John is an adverbial modifier of the predicate verb sold.
The indirect object is sometimes used without a direct object expressed. Thus—
He paid the hatter.
Here hatter may be recognized as an indirect object by inserting to before it and adding a direct object (“his bill,” “his money,” or the like).
106. The objective case sometimes expresses the person for whom anything is done.
William made his brother a kite [= made a kite for his brother].
Sampson built me a boat [= built a boat for me].
This construction may be called the objective of service.
Note. The objective of service is often included under the head of the indirect object. But the two constructions differ widely in sense, and should be carefully distinguished. To do an act to a person is not the same thing as to do an act for a person. Contrast “John paid the money to me,” with “John paid the money for me”; “Dick sold a bicycle to me,” with “Dick sold a bicycle for me.”
107. The objective case is used after like, unlike, near, and next, which are really adjectives or adverbs, though in this construction they are often regarded as prepositions.
She sang like a bird. [Like is an adverb.]
The earth is like a ball. [Like is an adjective.]
My office is near the station. [Near is an adjective.]
That answer was unlike Joseph. [Unlike is an adjective.]
This man walks unlike Joseph. [Unlike is an adverb.]
A stream ran near the hut. [Near is an adverb.]
The use of the objective after these words is a peculiar idiom similar to the indirect object (§ 105). The nature of the construction may be seen (as in the indirect object) by inserting to or unto (“She sang like unto a bird”).
Note. The indirect object, the objective of service, and the objective after like, unlike, and near are all survivals of old dative constructions. Besides the case of the direct object (often called accusative), English once had a case (called the dative) which meant to or for [somebody or something]. The dative case is easily distinguished in Greek, Latin, and German, but in English it has long been merged in form with the ordinary objective.
4. Cognate Object
108. A verb that is regularly intransitive sometimes takes as object a noun whose meaning closely resembles its own.
A noun in this construction is called the cognate object of the verb and is in the objective case.
He ran a race.
The mayor coughed a dubious, insinuating cough.
A scornful laugh laughed he.
The trumpeter blew a loud blast.
She sleeps the sleep of death.
Note. Cognate means “kindred” or “related.” The cognate object repeats the idea of the verb, often with some modification, and may be classed as an adverbial modifier. Its difference from the direct object may be seen by contrasting “The blacksmith struck the anvil” with “The blacksmith struck a mighty blow” (cf. “struck mightily”). For the pronoun it as cognate object, see § 120.
5. Adverbial Objective
109. A noun, or a phrase consisting of a noun and its modifiers, may be used adverbially. Such a noun is called an adverbial objective.
We have waited years for this reform.
I am years older than you are.
The river is miles away.
The water rose three feet.
This is an inch too long.
My brother is twenty years old.
I will stay a short time.
Wait a moment.
Come here this instant!
Turn your eyes this way.
This silk is several shades too light.
A group of words consisting of an adverbial object with its modifier or modifiers forms an adverbial phrase (§ 41).
6. Objective in Apposition
110. A substantive in apposition with an objective is itself in the objective case.
Yesterday I saw Williams the expressman. [Apposition with the direct object of saw.]
Tom gave his friend John a book. [Apposition with the indirect object friend.]
He lives with Andrews the blacksmith. [Apposition with the object of the preposition with.]
This rule follows from the general principle that an appositive is in the same case as the substantive to which it is attached (§ 88, 5).
7. Subject of an Infinitive
111. The subject of an infinitive is in the objective case.
This construction will be treated in connection with the uses of the infinitive (§ 325).
Parsing
112. To parse a word is to describe its grammatical form and to give its construction.
In parsing a noun, we mention the class to which it belongs, give its gender, number, person, and case, and tell why it is in that case. Thus—
1. Frank shot a wolf.
Frank is a proper noun of the masculine gender, in the singular number and third person. It is in the nominative case, because it is the subject of the verb shot.
Wolf is a common noun of the masculine or feminine [or common] gender, in the singular number and third person. It is in the objective case, because it is the object [or direct object] of the transitive verb shot.
2. Jane, come here.
Jane is a proper noun of the feminine gender, in the singular number and second person. It is in the nominative case, being used as a vocative (or in direct address).
3. The rope is fifteen feet long.