What kind of clause is the underlined part of the sentence given below?
Nobody at the bus depot could tell why the 7:40 bus to Hisar had been cancelled.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Noun clause
Ask “could tell what?” The answer is “why the 7:40 bus to Hisar had been cancelled”, so the clause is the object of “tell”.
| Clause | What it does | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) Adjective clause | describes a noun that comes just before it; here no noun such as “the reason” comes before “why” | The boy who sits next to me plays the tabla. |
| (2) Noun clause (answer) | does the work of a noun; it can be the subject or the object of a verb | Ask Papa why the train is late. |
| (3) Adverb clause | tells when, where, why or how an action happens; this clause names the thing they could not tell | We stayed indoors because it was very hot. |
| (4) Principal clause | the main clause; it makes full sense on its own | The shop opened late because the owner was ill. |