The direct object of a verb phrase or sentence is a noun indicating the person or thing upon which the verb's action is performed. The direct object may be inflected into the accusative case, if your language supports doing such a thing. In English, the direct object commonly follows the verb in the sentence.

Thus, in the sentence "John hits the ball," the ball is the direct object, as it is the ball upon which the hitting is inflicted.

In a sentence with a positional indirect object, the direct object comes last, after the indirect object. Thus, in the sentence "John gave Mary a dog," the dog is the direct object.