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The object is "who that is", right? And the verb is "telling", but what is "you"?

Further sentences:

  • Did they give 'him' a reward?
  • Will you be able to find 'them' a home?
  • I have given 'her' a lot of money, and she has shown 'me' nothing in return.
  • I want to buy ink from 'them'. Not from 'them'.
  • My girlfriend gave 'me' a delicious bag of curry crackers, and I gave 'her' a delicious, curry-flavored kiss.
  • His chariot sent 'him' airborne, and the tumble against the ground gave 'him' a cracked rib.
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  • 1
    Can you give a full sentence? That would make things easier to parse.
    – Mitch
    Mar 28, 2012 at 14:14
  • Yeah, I guess. No problem.
    – Wolfpack'08
    Mar 29, 2012 at 1:06
  • 2
    "Sent him airborne": him here is not an indirect object.
    – ErikE
    Mar 29, 2012 at 1:19

1 Answer 1

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English is a language of verbs, so we first identify the verb to answer your question.

The verb is "telling."

With a transitive verb (as in this case), the direct object answers "what" or "whom." Now we ask, "Telling what?" The answer, "who that is," is the direct object.

The indirect object answers the question "to what" or "to whom." Now we ask, "Telling to whom?" The answer, "you," is the indirect object.

Putting this all together, we find that "telling" is the verb, "you" is the indirect object, and "who that is" is the direct object.

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  • This seems to be a good answer from my follow-up research after having read it. Thank you.
    – Wolfpack'08
    Mar 29, 2012 at 1:16

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