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Verbs with two object complements

voice was accurate. It was! - though her analysis of the verbs with two object complements

looked a little uncertain. 

Let's review the bases of the constructions of these verbs... 

I) Some verbs may be followed by TWO OBJECT COMPLEMENTS: 

BRING -  BUY - GIVE - LEND - OFFER - OWE - PASS - PROMISE - SEND - SHOW - TAKE *-

TEACH - TELL - WRITE.

* take : meaning 'convey, transport' etc." 

- I bought your mother a present.  

- I'll bring my sister the doll she wants. 

                 [  COI  ]  [ COD]   

The first object complement is indirect. It can be found when answering the question "whose/of/

to whom?' or 'of which' after the verb. Generations of students have called it 'indirect complement'

(IOC) or 'SOC'  ('second object complement'). 

What is important is that this second complement refers to a person, and takes precedence over the

OBJECT. 

The second object complement is direct (DOC). It can be found asking the question 'who' or 'what' after

the verb. 

2) When the indirect complement is a noun, it may also follow the DOC (direct object complement) and

be preceded  by TO or FOR. 

- I bought a present for your mother. 

This is the normal structure when the two objects are pronouns. 

- I showed them to him. 

3) PAY ATTENTION to the following verbs: EXPLAIN, SUGGEST, DESCRIBE, HIDE, OPEN, TAKE

(meaning  'grab').

They can NEVER be immediately followed by an indirect objet complement (IOC).

- He explained the situation to me. 

- He hid his car keys from the teenager. 

Finally, you can see that these constructions are rather simple. Don't forget them...  

Your passive forms forms will thank you for it!   

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1) As she didn't have enough time to go to her parents' by train,

Lily

her

bought

mother

present

had

send

she

finally

to

birthday

decided

the

2) I have spent several hours trying to find the solution to this exercise, but as I can't succeed,

new

me

method

a

you

suggested

I'd

if

be

to

grateful

3) Yes, I agree that it would have been better if Lina and Leo had known about the accident, but it was too difficult and for now,

the

from

kids

hide

the

to

truth

decided

I

4) He asked me not to open it, but as I was going to the Post office,

of

one

letters

me

to

his

he

gave

post

5) Little Tommy couldn't repeat the sentence because he didn't understand it. Finally his big sister

the

words

difficult

explained

to

him

6) As Peter had witnessed the bank robbery, and as he saw the robbers leave the bank, a policeman asked him

describe

inspector

man

to

to

the

the

7) Though Mum had forbidden him to do it,

my

the

important

all

brother

from

younger

me

papers

took

8) My friend Julia had brought a souvenir from her stay in the US and had kept it in her suitcase; last evening

me

to

she

it

finally

gave

9) I was out with Laurie and had left my keys inside the house. I knocked and knocked as loud as I could and finally

door

opened

to

the

Lucy

us

10) 'He's been trying to stop smoking repeatedly and has now bought some of these patches, so

Lewis

for

buy

don't

cigarettes