§274. Object

The person or thing immediately affected by the action of a verb is called the Direct Object.

A person or thing indirectly affected by the action of a verb is called the Indirect Object.

Only transitive verbs can have a Direct Object; but an Indirect Object may be used with both transitive and intransitive verbs (§§ 362, 366):—

• pater vocat filium (direct object), the father calls his son.
• mihi (ind. obj.) agrum (dir. obj.) ostendit, he showed me a field.
• mihi (ind. obj.) placet, it is pleasing to me.

a. With certain verbs, the Genitive, Dative, or Ablative is used where the English, from a difference in meaning, requires the direct object (Objective):—

• hominem videō, I see the man (Accusative).
• hominī serviō, I serve the man (Dative, see § 367).
• hominis misereor, I pity the man (Genitive, see § 354. a).
• homine amīcō ūtor, I treat the man as a friend (Ablative, see § 410).

b. Many verbs transitive in Latin are rendered into English by an intransitive verb with a preposition:—

• petit aprum, he aims at the boar.
• laudem affectat, he strives after praise.
• cūrat valētūdinem, he takes care of his health.
• meum cāsum doluērunt, they grieved at my misfortune.
• rīdet nostram āmentiam (Quinct. 55), he laughs at our stupidity.