In the sentence 'Vince sent her a beautiful card from Rome,' which word functions as the indirect object?

• A. Vince
• B. Card
• C. Rome
• D. Her

Answer: (D)

The idea being tested is how to spot the indirect object—the recipient of what’s being acted upon.

In this sentence, the verb sent describes giving or transmitting something to someone. There are two objects involved: the thing being sent, which is the direct object, and the person who receives it, which is the indirect object. The direct object is “a beautiful card” — that’s what is being sent. The word that indicates who receives it is “her.” It answers the question “to whom was the card sent?”—to her. You can also see the relationship by rephrasing with a preposition: “Vince sent a beautiful card to her from Rome.” The indirect object remains the recipient.

Vince is the subject performing the action, and “from Rome” is just a phrase giving origin and doesn’t affect the role of the recipient. The word “card” marks the thing being sent, forming the direct object when combined with the article and modifier.