Using transitive and intransitive verbs
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Students' problems | page 4 of 8 |
Thinking all verbs can take two objects
Some students mistakenly assume that all transitive
verbs 
can be used with two
objects. However, some transitive verbs are monotransitive, which means that they only
take one object. Students who are not familiar with this restriction on certain verbs
produce errors such as this:
The chairmen of XYZ Company will donate us five hundred dollars per participant. (TeleNex Students)
In this case, the student was probably confused due to the similarity in meaning between give and donate:
The chairmen of XYZ Company will give us five hundred dollars per participant.
Another possibility would be to simply omit the indirect object:
The chairmen of XYZ Company will donate five hundred dollars per participant.
For teaching purposes it may help (especially with students at more advanced levels) to point out the following rule of thumb: Verbs which can be used with two objects are typically one-syllable words, eg give, make, pass, get, write, while those that are restricted to the direct object only tend to be longer words, often of French or Latin origin, eg donate, manufacture, circulate, obtain, compose.
For further information about ditransitive verbs, see 
Using
transitive and intransitive verbs: Transitive verbs with two objects.
Introduction
Thinking all verbs can take two objects
