 In traditional approaches towards sentence analysis, the object is one of the central elements of clause structure. In simple finite declarative sentences with a transitive verb, it is always present, it follows the verb and formally it can be realized by an noun phrase, as in these four examples. Alternatively, objects can be realized by a finite clause, for example, by a nominal that clause, a WH interrogative clause or a nominal relative clause. Furthermore, they can occur as non-finite clauses, as in talking about or to talk about his work. But how do we find out whether a noun phrase or a clause is the object of a sentence? In last years, the players made John the captain, we have four noun phrases, but which one is the object? Clearly, the first noun phrase last year cannot be the object since it is optional. Here are two tests that can clearly identify the object. According to the pro-form test, a noun phrase that can be replaced by a personal pronoun in the objective case must be the object. This applies to John, its pro-form is the objective marked pronoun him. A second test turns clauses with a transitive verb into the passive. There, the noun phrase which can become the subject in the passive is the object of the corresponding active clause. So in order to identify objects, we can use these criteria very well.