Verbs with Two Objects: Give Me the Book / Give the Book to Me
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
You can give objects in two ways: [Subject + Verb + Person + Thing] OR [Subject + Verb + Thing + to + Person].
- Use 'Person + Thing' when the person is the focus: I gave him the book.
- Use 'Thing + to + Person' when the thing is the focus: I gave the book to him.
- Always use 'to' or 'for' before the person if the thing comes first.
Verbs with Two Objects
Some verbs can have two objects. Two word orders are possible:
| Pattern 1 | Pattern 2 |
|---|---|
| Give me the book. | Give the book to me. |
| She bought him a coffee. | She bought a coffee for him. |
| I'll make you a sandwich. | I'll make a sandwich for you. |
To or For?
- to: give, send, show, tell, teach, lend, pass, write
- for: buy, make, cook, get, find, build
Meanings
This rule describes how to use verbs that take two objects (a recipient and a thing given). It allows for flexibility in word order to emphasize different parts of the sentence.
Transfer of possession
Using verbs like give, send, lend, or bring to show moving an item to a person.
“He lent me his car.”
“I bought her a gift.”
Two-Object Sentence Patterns
| Pattern | Subject | Verb | Indirect Object | Direct Object |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pattern 1 | I | give | him | the book |
| Pattern 2 | She | sends | me | a text |
| Pattern 3 | They | bought | her | a gift |
| Pattern 4 | We | showed | them | the way |
| Pattern 5 | He | lent | us | his car |
| Pattern 6 | I | made | you | a cake |
Common Contractions
| Full Form | Contraction |
|---|---|
| I will give | I'll give |
| He has given | He's given |
| Did not give | Didn't give |
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | S + V + IO + DO | I gave him the book. |
| Affirmative (Alt) | S + V + DO + to/for + IO | I gave the book to him. |
| Negative | S + aux + not + V + IO + DO | I didn't give him the book. |
| Question | Aux + S + V + IO + DO? | Did you give him the book? |
| Short Answer | Yes/No + S + aux | Yes, I did. |
| Pronoun Usage | S + V + pronoun + DO | I gave him it (awkward) -> I gave it to him. |
Formality Spectrum
I submitted the report to the manager. (Workplace)
I gave the manager the report. (Workplace)
I sent the boss the report. (Workplace)
I shot the boss the report. (Workplace)
The Two-Way Street of Giving
Recipient Focus
- Give him the book Focus on the person
Object Focus
- Give the book to him Focus on the item
Examples by Level
Give me the pen.
Send me a photo.
Show me the map.
Bring me some water.
I bought her a present.
Did you send him the email?
She didn't lend me the money.
Please pass me the salt.
He explained the rules to us.
She cooked a delicious meal for the guests.
I'll save you a seat.
They offered me a job.
The company awarded the contract to the highest bidder.
She read the children a story.
He handed the report to the manager.
Can you recommend a good book to me?
The professor demonstrated the theory to the students.
She dedicated her life to the cause.
He whispered a secret to her.
They provided the refugees with food.
He bequeathed his entire fortune to his nephew.
She conveyed her deepest sympathies to the family.
The government allocated more funds to the project.
He imparted his wisdom to the next generation.
Easily Confused
Learners think all verbs that take two objects work the same way.
Learners mix up when to use 'to' (transfer) and 'for' (benefit).
Learners put pronouns in the wrong spot.
Common Mistakes
Give to me the book.
Give me the book.
Give the book me.
Give the book to me.
I send him.
I send him a letter.
She give me the book.
She gives me the book.
Explain me the rule.
Explain the rule to me.
I bought for her a gift.
I bought her a gift.
Did you sent him the book?
Did you send him the book?
Describe me the scene.
Describe the scene to me.
I donated him money.
I donated money to him.
He suggested me a plan.
He suggested a plan to me.
He admitted me his mistake.
He admitted his mistake to me.
She reported me the incident.
She reported the incident to me.
They announced us the news.
They announced the news to us.
He confessed me his crime.
He confessed his crime to me.
Sentence Patterns
Can you bring ___ ___?
I sent ___ ___ to ___.
She bought ___ ___ for ___.
Did you show ___ ___?
Real World Usage
Can you bring me the menu?
I have sent the report to you.
Send me a DM!
Can you show me the way?
I bought this for you.
Please pass me your paper.
Focus Matters
No 'To' with Person-First
Check the Verb
Casual Speech
Smart Tips
Use the 'to' structure to keep the sentence balanced.
Always use the 'to' structure if the object is a pronoun like 'it'.
Remember that 'explain' is not a giving verb.
Use 'for' instead of 'to'.
Pronunciation
Stress
In 'Give me the book', stress 'me' and 'book'.
Falling
I gave him the BOOK.
Statement of fact.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Person first, no 'to' in sight. Thing first, 'to' is right!
Visual Association
Imagine a ball. If you hold the ball and look at your friend, you say 'I give you the ball'. If you hold the ball and look at the ball, you say 'I give the ball to you'.
Rhyme
Person first, the 'to' is gone. Thing first, the 'to' is on.
Story
Sarah wanted to give a gift to Tom. She held the gift out. She said, 'I give Tom the gift.' Then she realized the gift was special, so she held it up and said, 'I give the gift to Tom.'
Word Web
Challenge
For the next 5 minutes, describe 3 things you are giving or sending to people using both patterns.
Cultural Notes
Very common to drop 'to' in casual speech.
Similar, but 'to' is often kept for clarity.
Very informal, often uses 'give us' for 'give me'.
The dative alternation comes from Old English, where case endings (dative vs. accusative) marked the roles of the objects.
Conversation Starters
What is the best gift someone has given you?
Can you show me how to use this app?
Who sent you that message?
Have you ever lent anyone money?
Journal Prompts
Test Yourself
I gave ___ the book.
Find and fix the mistake:
Explain me the rule.
Which is correct?
Arrange the words in the correct order:
All words placed
Click words above to build the sentence
Dámelo.
Answer starts with: Giv...
Use 'buy' and 'gift'.
Which verb needs 'to'?
She (send) me a text.
Score: /8
Practice Exercises
8 exercisesI gave ___ the book.
Find and fix the mistake:
Explain me the rule.
Which is correct?
the / gave / I / book / him
Dámelo.
Use 'buy' and 'gift'.
Which verb needs 'to'?
She (send) me a text.
Score: /8
FAQ (8)
Most of the time, yes. However, some verbs like 'explain' only work with the 'to' pattern.
We use 'for' when the action is done for someone's benefit, like 'buying' or 'making'.
It is better to say 'Give it to me'. 'Give me it' sounds awkward to many native speakers.
Yes, it works for me, you, him, her, us, them.
Yes, but the 'to' structure is often preferred in formal contexts for clarity.
If the object is long, the 'to' structure is much better because it keeps the sentence balanced.
The rules are the same, but British speakers might use the 'to' structure slightly more often.
If you can say 'I [verb] [person] [thing]', it is likely ditransitive.
In Other Languages
Le di el libro.
Spanish requires the pronoun even if the person is mentioned.
Je lui ai donné le livre.
French word order is more rigid with pronouns.
Ich gab ihm das Buch.
German case endings allow for more flexible word order.
彼に本をあげた (Kare ni hon o ageta).
Particles make word order less critical than in English.
أعطيته الكتاب (A'taytuhu al-kitab).
The pronoun is attached to the verb.
我给他书 (Wǒ gěi tā shū).
Chinese does not have verb conjugation.
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