Example 1: Dennis and Susan ate omelets for breakfast.
The subject is “Dennis and Susan,” and the verb is “ate.” Next ask yourself the question “who or what?” about the verb “ate.” What did the subject, Dennis and Susan, eat? They ate omelets. Therefore, the direct object is “omelets.”
Consider the following example to find the direct object that follows a clause or phrase:
Example 2: Sophia hates when her father lectures her about her grades.
The subject is “Sophia,” and the verb is “hates.” Next ask yourself the question “who or what?” about the verb “hates.” What does the subject, Sophia, hate? She hates “when her father lectures her about her grades.” This subordinate clause (a combination of words that contain a subject and a verb, but do not form a complete sentence) is the direct object of the sentence.
