Grammar：Direct object
【明報專訊】Pat is writing a letter to her cousin who has flown back to Australia after the summer holidays.
Pat: Hey Dr Panda, (1) can I borrow your glue stick?
Dr Panda: Sure, here you are. What are you doing?
Pat: (2) I am sending my cousin Beatrice a letter. She is studying in Australia and (3) visited me during the summer holidays.
Dr Panda: That was great. What did you do?
Pat: Beatrice and I went to the astronomy museum. (4) She liked it very much and (5) we took a lot of photos. (6) So I am mailing them to her.
Many verbs take a direct object without the need of a preposition. These verbs are called transitive verbs (及物動詞). A noun / noun phrase that follows a verb without a preposition is a direct object.
e.g. We ate hamburgers for lunch today.
■Gear up
Circle the direct objects in Pat's letter below.
(Answers on next text)
Dear Beatrice,
I was so happy to see you and Aunt Bella in the summer! Even though it has only been two days since you left, I have started missing our time together already!
Do you remember our museum visit? I include the photos in this letter so that you can look at them and decorate your room. I would love to visit your family in Australia, and Mom said she will make a plan.
Please send my greetings to Aunt Bella and Uncle Joe for me!
Love,
Pat
■Glossary
glue stick (n phr) 漿糊筆
astronomy (n) 天文學
even though (idiom) 儘管
decorate (v) 裝飾
[Smarties' Power English 第253期]
