Who catches the ball?
The verb throws the action. Someone catches it.
Think of the verb as a throw. In 'Marie mange une pomme', Marie throws the action of eating, and the apple catches it. The catcher is the complément d'objet direct, the COD. To find it, ask the verb 'who?' or 'what?'. Marie mange... what? Une pomme.
Sometimes the ball needs a little bridge to reach the catcher: the word à. 'Marie parle à Paul.' Parle... to whom? À Paul. When there is an à bridge, the catcher is the complément d'objet indirect, the COI.
Examples
Je regarde le film.I watch the film.regarde quoi? le film = COD
Nous aimons nos amis.We love our friends.aimons qui? nos amis = COD
Elle écrit à sa mère.She writes to her mother.écrit à qui? = COI
Il téléphone à Léa.He calls Léa.téléphoner à: COI, even though English has no 'to'
Two questions
Ask 'verb + qui? / quoi?' → COD. Ask 'verb + à qui? / à quoi?' → COI. The bridge word à is the giveaway.
Practice (sample)
- Tap the COD (the catcher, no bridge)
Marie mange une pomme au jardin.Answer
une pomme. mange quoi? une pomme. 'au jardin' just says where. - Tap the COD (the catcher, no bridge)
Tu vois le chat ?Answer
le chat. vois quoi? le chat. - Tap the COD (the catcher, no bridge)
Nous cherchons nos clés ce matin.Answer
nos clés. cherchons quoi? nos clés. - Tap the COD (the catcher, no bridge)
Le prof explique la leçon aux élèves.Answer
la leçon. explique quoi? la leçon. 'aux élèves' has the à bridge: that part is COI. - Tap the COD (the catcher, no bridge)
J' adore ce chanteur !Answer
ce chanteur. adore qui? ce chanteur. - Tap the COD (the catcher, no bridge)
Elle achète du pain le matin.Answer
du pain. achète quoi? du pain.
The online game draws fresh questions from a bank of 12, in two levels.