Allen and Greenough's New Latin Grammar for Schools and Colleges
J. B. Greenough, G. L. Kittredge, A. A. Howard, Benj. L. D'Ooge, Ed.

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):—

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

[*] Note.--The distinction between transitive and intransitive verbs is not a fixed dis tinction, for most transitive verbs may be used intransitively, and many verbs usually intransitive may take a direct object and so become transitive (§ 388. a).

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

1. hominem videō, I see the man (Accusative).
2. hominī serviō, I serve the man (Dative, see § 367).
3. hominis misereor, I pity the man (Genitive, see § 354. a).
4. 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:—

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