Discussing Indirect Objects with ChatGPT

As my readers know, I have written and tweeted extensively about indirect objects in English grammar. Some of the biggest lies that many grammar books tell are about indirect objects. For example, many grammars call the prepositional phrase to me in a sentence like She gave the book to me an indirect object. While prepositional phrases can, although extremely rarely, function as indirect objects, a prepositional phrase like to me is an example of an adjunct adverbial, not an indirect object.

I have also been playing around with Chat GPT a lot lately for fun. For example, I have asked the AI to look at some of my posts to determine if the author is a person or AI. So far, all my posts have come back as being analyzed as written by a person. So, I am happy to report that I am not a robot! (As Loki asked in the first season of Loki, “Do a lot of people not know if they are robots?”) I also decided to see what kind of misinformation I could get Chat GPT to tell me. The first topic was English indirect objects.

To begin the discussion, I asked the question, “What do many grammar books get wrong about indirect objects in English?”

What do many grammar books get wrong about indirect objects in English?

Many grammar books get the concept of indirect objects in English wrong by either oversimplifying or overcomplicating it. Some common misconceptions about indirect objects in English include:

1. Every sentence has an indirect object: This is not true. While many sentences in English do have an indirect object, not all do. In fact, many sentences do not require an indirect object at all.

2. The indirect object always comes before the direct object: This is not

2. The indirect object always comes before the direct object: This is not always true. While the indirect object often comes before the direct object, there are many cases where the order can be reversed or even omitted. For example, "He gave me the book" and "He gave the book to me" are both correct.

3. Indirect objects are always necessary: This is not always true. In some cases, the indirect object can be omitted, especially when the context makes it clear who the recipient or beneficiary of the action is. For example, "She baked me a cake" and "She baked a cake" both convey the same meaning.

4. All prepositional phrases are indirect

cake" both convey the same meaning.

4. All prepositional phrases are indirect objects: This is not true. While prepositional phrases often indicate the recipient or beneficiary of an action, not all prepositional phrases function as indirect objects. For example, in the sentence "She walked to the store," "to the store" is a prepositional phrase indicating location, not a recipient or beneficiary of the action.

Overall, it is important to approach the concept of indirect objects in English with flexibility and to recognize that they can be expressed in different ways depending on the sentence structure and context.

Almost immediately, ChatGPT confused indirect objects with adjunct adverbials: “The indirect object always comes before the direct object: This is not always true. While the indirect object often comes before the direct object, there are many cases where the order can be reversed or even omitted. For example, “He gave me the book” and “He gave the book to me” are both correct.”

Both the sentences He gave me the book and He gave the book to me are absolutely grammatically possible in English. But the me in the first sentence and the to me in the second sentence are different forms that perform different functions. The me in the first sentence is a pronoun that forms a noun phrase that functions as an indirect object. The me in the second sentence is a pronoun that forms a noun phrase that functions as the prepositional complement in the prepositional phrase to me that functions as an adjunct adverbial. Yes, both me and to me perform the same semantic function, answering “(To) whom did he give the book?” But the grammatical forms and grammatical functions are not the same.

"To me" in "He gave the book to me" is an adverbial, not an indirect object.

You are correct, "to me" in the sentence "He gave the book to me" is not an indirect object, but rather an adverbial of recipient or benefactive. An indirect object typically refers to a person or thing that receives the direct object indirectly and typically comes before the direct object.

In this case, the direct object is "book," and "to me" is an adverbial that indicates the recipient of the action. The word "to" is a preposition that introduces the adverbial, and "me" is the object of the

typically refers to a person or thing that receives the direct object indirectly and typically comes before the direct object. In this case, the direct object is "book," and "to me" is an adverbial that indicates the recipient of the action. The word "to" is a preposition that introduces the adverbial, and "me" is the object of the preposition. Thank you for pointing out this error in my previous response. As an Al language model, I strive to provide accurate information, and I appreciate your help in ensuring the quality of my responses.

After pointing out that to me in He gave the book to me is an adverbial, not an indirect object, ChatGPT confirmed my correction: “You are correct, “to me” in the sentence “He gave the book to me” is not an indirect object, but rather an adverbial of recipient or benefactive. An indirect object typically refers to a person or thing that receives the direct object indirectly and typically comes before the direct object.” So far, so good.

I then asked the AI to give me a revision of its previous explanation of things that grammar books get wrong about indirect objects, taking into account the correction that I provided. (I do not have a screenshot of my input of this request.)

Sure, here is a revised response:

Many grammar books oversimplify or overcomplicate the concept of indirect objects in English, leading to common misconceptions. Some of these misconceptions include:

1. Every sentence has an indirect object: This is not true. While many sentences
in English do have an indirect object, not all sentences require one.

2. The indirect object always comes before the direct object: This is not always true. While the indirect object often comes before the direct object, the order can vary depending on the sentence structure and context. In

sentence structure and context. In some cases, the indirect object can even be omitted. 3. Indirect objects are always necessary: This is not always true. In some cases, the recipient or beneficiary of the action can be implied, making the indirect object unnecessary. 4. All prepositional phrases are indirect objects: This is not true. While prepositional phrases can indicate the recipient or beneficiary of an action, not all prepositional phrases function as indirect objects. In some cases, the prepositional phrase may indicate a location or a manner of the action. In summary, the concept of indirect

In summary, the concept of indirect objects in English can be nuanced and flexible, and it's important to recognize that they can be expressed in different ways depending on the sentence structure and context. It's essential to approach this concept with a critical eye and a willingness to adapt to different grammatical constructions.

In most Englishes, the indirect object must precede the direct object.

You are correct that in most standard varieties of English. the indirect obiect

In this revision, ChatGPT removed the incorrect information about the prepositional phrase to me in He gave the book to me being an indirect object (which it is not). However, the second point was still incorrect: “The indirect object always comes before the direct object: This is not always true. While the indirect object often comes before the direct object, the order can vary depending on the sentence structure and context.”

I prompted the AI to give me more information by stating that the indirect object must precede the direct object in most Englishes.

You are correct that in most standard varieties of English, the indirect object typically comes before the direct object in a sentence. This word order is considered more standard or formal in most Englishes, and it is often taught in grammar books as a rule.

For example, in the sentence "He gave the book to me," the indirect object "me" comes before the direct object "book." This word order emphasizes the recipient of the action, and it is commonly used in formal writing and speech.

However, it is worth noting that there are some dialects and registers of English in which the order of indirect and direct

which the order of indirect and direct objects can be reversed or even omitted. For example, in some colloquial or nonstandard varieties of English, it is common to say "He gave me the book" instead of "He gave the book to me."

Overall, while the traditional rule of placing the indirect object before the direct object is generally followed in most standard varieties of English, there are variations and exceptions to this rule in different dialects and registers of the language.

"To me" is an adverbial, not an indirect object.

You are correct that "to me" in the sentence "He gave the book to me" is not an indirect object, but rather an adverbial
phrase indicating the recipient or beneficiary of the action.

In this sentence, "book" is the direct object, and "to me" is an adverbial phrase that functions as an indirect object of the verb "gave." The preposition "to" introduces the adverbial phrase, and "me" is the object of the preposition.

I apologize for the confusion caused by my earlier response. As an Al language model, I am constantly learning and evolving, and I appreciate your feedback in helping me improve the accuracy of

Revise the information about what most grammar books get wrong about indirect objects in English. Remember that "to me" is a prepositional phrase that functions as an adverbial, not an indirect object.

Sure, here's a revised response:

Many grammar books oversimplify the concept of indirect objects in English, leading to common misconceptions. Some of these misconceptions include:

1. Every sentence has an indirect object: This is not true. While many sentences in English do have an indirect object,
not all sentences require one.

The AI continued to tell me that the order of direct objects and indirect objects can vary. I thus prompted a revision by stating that indirect object always precedes a direct object in English.

An indirect object always precedes a direct object in English. Revise this information to reflect this fact.

Certainly, here's a revised response:

In most standard varieties of English, the indirect object typically comes before the direct object in a sentence. This word order is considered more standard or formal in most Englishes, and it is often taught in grammar books as a rule.
An indirect object is a noun or pronoun that typically indicates to whom or for whom an action is performed, and it
usually precedes the direct object in a

whom an action is performed, and it usually precedes the direct object in a sentence. For example, in the sentence "She gave me the money," "me" is the indirect object and "money" is the direct object.

While there can be variations in the placement of indirect and direct objects in different English dialects and registers, in most standard varieties of English, the indirect object almost always comes before the direct object. This word order is considered more natural and easier to understand, especially in longer or more complex sentences.

Therefore, when constructing sentences

While some Englishes allow for constructions such as He gave it me in which the indirect object me follows the direct object it, the syntax in the overwhelming majority of Englishes is subject-verb-indirect object-direct object. For example, the two sentences She gave the child a dog and She gave a dog the child have completely different meanings in most Englishes. In the first sentence, the child is the indirect object. In the second sentence, a dog is the indirect object.

I thus wanted to see if ChatGPT could give me an example of an indirect object following a direct object. I know that the structure is extremely rare. A quick Google search does not yield much information on the possibility of S-V-DO-IO in English.

Give me an example of an indirect object not preceding a direct object in English.

While it is true that in most cases, the indirect object precedes the direct object in English, there are instances where the word order is reversed or changed for various reasons such as emphasis, stylistic effect or to create a specific tone.

Here is an example of a sentence in which the direct object precedes the indirect object:

"The flowers I bought my mother smell lovely."

"The flowers I bought my mother smell lovely."

In this sentence, "flowers" is the direct object, and "my mother" is the indirect object. The direct object precedes the indirect object because the speaker wants to emphasize the flowers first and then mention who they were bought for.

This word order is less common and can be considered non-standard, but it is still grammatically correct and can be used for specific effects in writing or speech.

ChatGPT gave me the example The flowers I bought my mother smell lovely. The AI furthermore claimed that flowers is the direct object and my mother is the indirect object. While my mother is indeed an indirect object, the flowers is not a direct object in the sentence. Rather, the flowers is the subject of the sentence. The clause I bought my mother, which is an adjective clause introduced by the null relativizer, describes flowers. The null relativizer functions as the direct object of the adjective clause.

The direct object does precede the indirect object in the adjective clause. However, despite the claim by ChatGPT that this “word order is less common and can be considered non-standard,” for a relativizer functioning as a direct object to go before the indirect object in a relative clause is the only possible word order in English grammar. This syntax is not uncommon or “non-standard.”

Your example uses an adjective (relative) clause. Adjective clauses have different syntax rules than main clauses.

You are correct that the example I provided includes an adjective clause, which has a different syntax than a simple main clause. My apologies for any confusion caused by my earlier response.

Here is an example of a simple main clause in which the direct object follows the indirect object:

"I gave my mother the book."

In this sentence, "my mother" is the

clause in which the direct object follows the indirect object:

"I gave my mother the book."

In this sentence, "my mother" is the indirect object and "the book" is the direct object. The word order in this sentence is less common, but it can be used for emphasis or stylistic effect.

I hope this revised response clears up any confusion and provides a more accurate example of a simple main clause where
the direct object follows the indirect object.

ChatGPT apologized but then gave me an example of S-V-IO-DO syntax.

I thus tried a different tactic and asked the AI to give me an example of a sentence in which the indirect object precedes the direct object and then a sentence in which the indirect object follows the direct object.

Give me an example of an indirect object preceding a direct object in a main clause in English.

Certainly! Here's an example of a main clause in which the indirect object precedes the direct object:

"I gave my friend a gift."

In this sentence, "my friend" is the indirect object and "a gift" is the direct object. The indirect object precedes the direct object in the sentence, which is the standard word order in most varieties of English.

This word order places emphasis on that

This word order places emphasis on the recipient of the action, "my friend," and is more commonly used in English.

Now give me an example of an indirect object following a direct object in a main clause in English.

Although it is less common, there are instances in English where the direct object may come before the indirect
object. Here's an example of a main clause in which the direct object precedes
the indirect object:

Clause in which the direct object precedes the indirect object:

"I made my mother a cake."

In this sentence, "a cake" is the direct object and "my mother" is the indirect object. The direct object precedes the indirect object in the sentence, which can be used for emphasis or stylistic effect.

This word order places emphasis on the action or object that was made, "a cake," rather than the recipient of the action, "my mother." While this word order is less common, it is still grammatically correct in English.

ChatGPT gave me the examples I gave my friend a gift and I made my mother a cake. The AI analyzed the first sentence correctly as containing the indirect object my friend and the direct object a gift. However, the analysis of the second sentence was incorrect. The noun phrase my mother is also an indirect object, not a direct object; the noun phrase a cake is a direct object, not an indirect object.

When I pointed out the mistake and asked for another example of a main clause in which the indirect object follows the direct object, ChatGPT gave me the sentence I showed my friends the pictures. Again, my friends is an indirect object that precedes the direct object the pictures.

In your example, the indirect object does not follow the direct object.

My apologies for the confusion in my previous response. You are correct that the example I provided did not actually include an indirect object following the direct object.

Here is a corrected example of a main clause in which the indirect object follows the direct object:

"I showed my friends the pictures."

In this sentence, "the pictures" is the direct obiect and "my friends" is the

Again, "my friends" is an indirect object. My point is that an indirect object must precede a direct object in English. You said earlier that it is not always true that an indirect object always precedes a direct object.

You are correct, and I apologize for any confusion I may have caused earlier. I misspoke when I said that it is not always true that the indirect object precedes the direct object in English. In fact, the indirect object does typically precede the direct object in English.

Thank you for bringing this to my attention and I apologize for any confusion my

"I showed my friends the pictures."

In this sentence, "the pictures" is the direct object and "my friends" is the indirect object. The direct object precedes
the indirect object in the sentence, which is the standard word order in most varieties of English.

This word order places emphasis on the pictures that were shown, and it is commonly used in English.

Thank you for bringing this to my attention, and I hope this corrected example better answers your question.

confusion I may have caused earlier. I misspoke when I said that it is not always true that the indirect object precedes the direct object in English. In fact, the indirect object does typically precede the direct object in English.

Thank you for bringing this to my attention and I apologize for any confusion my previous responses may have caused. To answer your original question, an example of an indirect object not preceding a direct object in English would be rare and hard to come by, as the standard syntax in English typically places the indirect object before the direct object.

I then again asked ChatGPT to find me a rare example of an indirect object following a direct object in a main clause in English.

Can you find a rare example of an indirect object following a direct object in a main clause in English?

I apologize for any confusion caused in my previous responses. As you have pointed out, the standard syntax in English typically places the indirect object before the direct object. While it is theoretically possible to construct a sentence in which the indirect object follows the direct object, such sentences would be rare and would likely involve unusual syntax or emphasis.

That being said, here is an example of

"I gave a book to the teacher, my favorite."

In this sentence, "a book" is the direct object and "the teacher" is the indirect object. The word "my favorite" is a postpositive adjective phrase, which is a type of adjective phrase that comes after the noun it modifies. In this case, "my favorite" modifies "the teacher." While "the teacher" is technically an indirect object, its position in the sentence is modified by the adjective phrase.

I hope this example helps clarify the rare instances in which the indirect object may follow the direct object in English.

The example given was I gave a book to the teacher, my favorite. Again, while indirect objects and prepositional phrases functioning as adjunct adverbials can provide the same semantic information, the two functions are different. In this example, a book is a direct object, but the teacher is not an indirect object even with the appositive my favorite. The prepositional phrase to the teacher functions as an adjunct adverbial. I gave up for the night.

Today I again asked ChatGPT to tell me what many grammar books get wrong about indirect objects in English. I was immediately disappointed with the same misinformation that confuses indirect objects and adjunct adverbials.

What do many grammar books get wrong about indirect objects in English?

One common error found in some grammar books regarding indirect objects in English is the assertion that there must always be a preposition before an indirect object. While it is true that many indirect objects are introduced by prepositions such as "to" or "for," not all of them require a preposition.

In fact, many verbs in English can take an indirect object without a preposition, such as "give," "offer," "show," and "send." For example, in the sentence "I gave him a gift," "him" is the indirect object and no preposition is needed. However, some grammar books may incorrectly state that a preposition is required in this type of sentence.

Another mistake is the confusion between indirect objects and prepositional phrases. Some grammar books may incorrectly identify a prepositional phrase as an indirect object. For example, in the sentence "I talked to her about the project," "to her" is a prepositional phrase, not an indirect object. The indirect object in this sentence is "the project," as it is the recipient of the action of the verb "talked."

It's important to note that the use of indirect objects in English can be complex and nuanced, and there are often several ways to express the same idea. It's always best to consult multiple sources and use context to determine the correct use of indirect objects in a given sentence.

Indirect objects are not introduced by prepositions. For example, if we changed "I gave him a gift" to "I gave a gift to him," "a gift" is still the direct object but "him" is a prepositional complement, not an indirect object. The prepositional phrase "to him" functions as an adjunct adverbial, not an indirect object.

Thank you for the clarification. You are correct that in the sentence "I gave a gift to him," "him" is a prepositional complement and not an indirect object. The prepositional phrase "to him" functions as an adjunct adverbial modifying the verb "gave," indicating the recipient of the action.

To clarify further, indirect objects in English are typically introduced by prepositions such as "to" or "for," but not always. Some verbs, such as "give" and "show," can take an indirect object without a preposition. In these cases, the indirect object is typically positioned before the direct object and functions as the recipient of the action of the verb.

Thank you for bringing this to my attention, and I apologize for any confusion my previous answer may have caused.

No, indirect objects are never introduced by prepositions such as "to" or "for." Prepositional phrases that begin with "to" or "for" such as in "I gave the book to him" and "I bought the book for him" are adjunct adverbials, not indirect objects. You are confusing grammatical function with semantic function and confusing form with function. You are correct. I apologize for the confusion in my previous responses. Indirect objects are not introduced by prepositions such as "to" or "for." The prepositional phrases that begin with "to" or "for" in sentences such as "I gave the book to him" and "I bought the book for him" are indeed adjunct adverbials and not indirect objects. I appreciate your clarification and your attention to detail. Thank you for bringing this to my attention.

So, if I ask you about indirect objects tomorrow, will you not state that a form like "to me" in "She gave the book to me" is an indirect object?

That is correct. In a sentence like "She gave the book to me," the prepositional phrase "to me" is not functioning as an indirect object. Instead, "the book" is the direct object, and "me" is the recipient of the action, introduced by the preposition "to".

Indirect objects typically come before the direct object and receive the action of the verb, without the use of a preposition. For example, in the sentence "She gave me the book," "me" is the indirect object and "the book" is the direct object.

I apologize for any confusion my previous responses may have caused, and thank you for bringing this to my attention.

After some back and forth, ChatGPT finally promised not to tell me that a form like to me in She gave the book to me is an indirect object. Unfortunately, a lot of misinformation about indirect objects exists on the internet and in many other sources. ChatGPT uses the information learned from training data to generate a response, and I can almost guarantee that some of that information contained falsehoods about indirect objects. Thus, I am not hopeful that my attempts to teach the AI about indirect object will do anything more than annoy me.

For more information about indirect objects and adverbial adjuncts, see A Form-Function Description of the Grammar of the Modern English Language: Book 1 (Level 7) of A Form-Function English Grammar.

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