Question

What is the direct object? This explains the discovery of the ruins

Answer 1

@scarymary101

Answer 2

@oneinmillon

Answer 3

ruins

Answer 4

The direct object is "discovery", because "explains" is the action verb and the direct object comes after the action verb. The word "ruins" is the object of a preposition.

Answer 5

Another example of this is: "Then he made a pot of stew with leftover from dinner." You might want to think "stew" is the direct object, but it is not, "pot" is the direct object, it follows the action verb and answers the question "made what?"