Objective Case and Direct Object of a Verb

     A noun is said to be in the objective case when it act as the direct object of a verb, the indirect object of a verb, the object of a preposition, or as an appositive  of another word in the object case. (Object implies the person or thing receiving an action: John hit Mary. Mary,  the object, receives the action that John, the subject initiates.)

DIRECT OBJECT OF A VERB

     To determine the word or words acting as object of the verb ask whom? or what?  after the verb. The answer yields the object.

     She approved my reason.

     She approved what? The object of approved is reason.

INDIRECT OBJECT OF A VERB

     Beside naming the direct object,  the person or thing receiving an actions, a verb may also have an indirect object  the person for whom or to whom, or the thing for which or to which an action is performed. To determine the indirect object (which usually comes  before the direct object) as to whom? or for whom? for what? after the verb.

     The professor taught his students grammar.

     The professor taught to whom?  The answer, [his] student,  yields the indirect object.

PRONOUNS

     A pronoun is a word used in place of a noun. Note how monotonous a sentence can be if the noun is repeated because in its place no pronoun is used. 

     Example:

     1. Pete lost Pete's watch yesterday when Pete was wrestling with Pete's cousin.

     2. The children were told by the children's mother to study the children's  lesson carefully.

     3. In the garden, the earthworm is looking for the earthworm's  food to keep the earthworm's healthy so that the earthworm's can do the earthworm's work well.

     Instead of the boldened nouns, pronouns may be used to improve the sentences. The boldened words below are pronouns.

     1. Peter lost his book yesterday when he  was wrestling with his cousin.

     2. The children were told by their mother to study  their lesson carefully.

     3. In the garden, the earthworm is looking for its food to keep it healthy so that it can do its work well.

     4. We who are your  friends will help you ad your mother.

     The words (1) he, his (2) their,  (3) its, it, and we, you, your, who are called pronouns. They are used in place of the nouns (1) Pete, (2) children,  (3)  earthworm, (4) the person speaking, and the person spoken to, respectively.