Sentence with two objects

Two objects in an active sentences – two possible passive sentences

When there are two objects in an active sentence, there are two possible active sentences and two possible passive sentences.

  ü  Sentence 1: The professor gave the students the books. 

  ü  Sentence 2: The professor gave the books to the students.

There are two objects in each of the following sentences:

  ü  Object 1 = indirect object → the students.

  ü  Object 2 = direct object → the books.

An indirect object is very often a person, a direct object a thing. When a direct object is followed by an indirect one, we put to in front of the indirect object.

Active sentence 1

Subject	Verb	indirect Object	direct Object
The professor	gave	the students	the books.

Active sentence 2

Subject	Verb	direct Object	indirect Object with to
The professor	gave	the books	to the students.

Each of the objects (books/students) in the active sentences can become subject in the passive sentence.

Passive sentence 1

Subject	Verb	Object	(by-agent)
The students	were given	the books.	(by the professor).

Passive sentence 2

Subject	Verb	Object	(by-agent)
The books	were given	to the students	(by the professor).

Video:

Online exercise:

http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/active_passive/objects_tenses.htm

References:

http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/grammar/passive_two_objects.htm