What is the difference between a direct object pronoun and an indirect object pronoun?

Most of the time, verbs take a direct object pronoun - an indirect object pronoun is only used when the verb is followed by the preposition 'à'. This is because verbs which use 'à' mean to do something TO something/someone else (faire quelque chose à quelque chose/quelqu'un), even though in English we do not always include the 'to', it must always be included in French, and represented by an indirect object pronoun.

Two examples: 'Je regarde la télévision' becomes 'Je la regarde', using a direct object pronoun.

                         'Je donne le cadeaux à Pierre' becomes 'Je lui donne le cadeaux', using an indirect object pronoun because the verb 'donner' uses an 'à'.