Identify the grammatical name and function of the underlined clause:
What the research committee discovered surprised the entire university faculty.
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. Noun clause, functioning as the subject of the verb 'surprised'
- Step 1: Analyze the structure of the subordinate clause What the research committee discovered: it begins with the relative pronoun what and contains a subject (the research committee) and finite verb (discovered).
- Step 2: Determine its syntactic role: the entire nominal unit occupies the subject position preceding the main transitive verb surprised, making it a noun clause functioning as the subject of the verb 'surprised'.
Answer
Noun clause, functioning as the subject of the verb 'surprised'.
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