Answer: An “objective noun” isn’t a special form of noun in English; it usually means a noun that functions as an object in a sentence — i.e., a direct object, an indirect object, or an object of a preposition.
Explanation:
- Direct object: receives the action of the verb. Example: “The dog chased the cat.” (cat = direct object)
- Indirect object: the recipient of the direct object. Example: “She gave the boy a gift.” (boy = indirect object)
- Object of a preposition: follows a preposition in a prepositional phrase. Example: “We sat near the lake.” (lake = object of the preposition near)
Note: English nouns do not change form between subject and object (the cat is the same word whether subject or object). The term “objective case” more properly applies to pronouns (me, him, her, us, them), which do change form (e.g., “He saw me” not “Him saw I”).