Select the correct noun clause in the sentence below. Then choose the function of the noun clause.
The detective asked me if I had heard any strange noises the night before.
Noun clause: if I had heard any strange noises the night before.
function of clause: direct object
Right.
To identify the correct noun clause in the sentence and determine its function, we need to first remember that a noun clause is a group of words that plays the role of a noun in a sentence. It can function as a subject, direct object, indirect object, object of a preposition, or a predicate nominative.
In the given sentence, the noun clause is "if I had heard any strange noises the night before." This clause functions as the direct object of the verb "asked." Here's an explanation of how to identify the noun clause:
1. Start by locating the main verb of the sentence, which is "asked."
2. Ask yourself, what is being asked? In this case, the question is about whether the person (me) had heard any strange noises the night before.
3. Identify the subordinate conjunction that introduces the dependent clause. Here, it is "if".
4. Finally, recognize that the whole clause "if I had heard any strange noises the night before" can stand alone as a sentence, which is a key characteristic of a noun clause.
Therefore, in the given sentence, the noun clause "if I had heard any strange noises the night before" functions as the direct object because it answers the question of what the detective asked.