A noun can act as a direct object in a sentence. A direct object directly receives the action from the verb.
Look at this sentence: Bob threw the ball. The action is threw. What receives the action? The ball. Bob threw what? Bob threw the ball. So ball is the direct object. It directly receives the action.
Here are more examples:
Bob rode his bike. Bob rode what? His bike. So bike is the direct object.
Mom baked a cake. Mom baked what? The cake. So cake is the direct object.
Susan read a book. Susan read what? A book. So book is the direct object.
Mr. Smith wrote a story. Mr. Smith wrote what? A story. So story is the direct object.
A direct object receives the action from the verb in a sentence. A direct object is always a noun.
It’s your turn. Find the direct object that receives the action in this sentence: Dad packed his lunch. Did you figure out which noun receives action from the verb packed? Good for you!