A direct object goes on the baseline after the verb. An indirect object hangs under the verb. This builds on Diagrams: Adjectives and Adverbs.
- Direct object: after the verb, behind a short upright line that stops at the baseline (only the subject–verb line crosses it).
- Indirect object: on a flat line hung under the verb by a slant.
Key idea
Two upright lines on the baseline mean two different things: the one that crosses splits subject from verb; the one that stops at the line comes before the direct object.
Why it works
The line types encode the jobs. Anyone who knows the code can read a diagram and see which noun receives the action and which one is the receiver of the thing given.
Worked example: Two objects
Diagram “The coach handed the team a map.”
- Baseline: coach | handed | map (handed what?).
- The under coach; a under map.
- To whom? team: on a flat line under handed, with the hanging from it.
Answer: coach | handed | map, with team under handed
Common mistake
Drawing the line before a direct object all the way through the baseline. That crossing line is the mark of the subject–verb split. The object line stops at the baseline.