Ed -

Regardless of determining the grammatical function of this prepositional 
phrase (an activity that both I and my students find tedious and 
unproductive), I find it much more interesting to investigate the kind of 
meaning "to me" produces.  So instead of debating whether the phrase is an 
indirect object or adverbial, it would be more productive to have students 
explain and expand the meaning of the sentence.  For example, more 
prepositional phrases can be added to create more "where" meaning:  "Jack 
hit the ball to me in left field."  Then, a dependent clause can be added to 
create even more "where" meaning:  "Jack hit the ball to me in left field 
where I had been put by the coach."  Then another dependent clause can be 
added to create "why" meaning:  "Jack hit the ball to me in left field where 
I had been put by the coach because I can't really catch very well."  BINGO! 
  Grammar is being used to create meaning - instead of "grammar in the 
context of writing" we now have "writing in the context of grammar!"  
Grammar is actually being used to create a narrative with meaning and some 
power.

Geoff Layton


>From: Edward Vavra <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar              
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Prepositional phrase as an indirect object
>Date: Tue, 28 Nov 2006 12:21:16 -0500
>
>     I was recently asked about "to me" in the sentence "Jack hit the
>ball to me." Is "to me" an adverbial prepositional phrase, or can it be
>considered a prepositional phrase that functions as an indirect object,
>i.e., as a noun? My question is--Do members of this list agree on one or
>the other explanation, or is their disagreement?
>Thanks,
>Ed
>
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