Read the sentence. According to the latest reports sent to us, orangutans prefer to remain safely in their original habitats. Why can the infinitive phrase be classified as a noun?

The infinitive phrase is “to remain safely in their original habitats.” It answers the question “What do orangutans prefer?” and receives the action of the verb “prefer,” so it functions as the direct object. Therefore, the correct choice is “It functions as the direct object.”

AI-written and checked against the verified answer.