John,
    This is a routine feature of ditransitive sentences: either "object" can be the subject of a passive version. We can be "told" a story or "given" a gift even if technically it's the story that is told (to us) or the gift that is given (to us).
    It is also possible to leave out elements of the overall meaning, probably because they are clear in context. "I told a big lie." "I told my brother."  But some ditransitive sentences won't allow dropping the direct object. "My chemistry teacher assigned additional homework exercises." *"My chemistry teacher assigned the class."  "We baked the kids a cake." "We baked a cake." *"We baked the kids."
    "The teacher assigned his eight o'clock class two chapters of reading." The "eight o'clock class" is the indirect object, "two chapters of reading" the direct object, as I see it. If he "made the eight o'clock class read two chapters," the grammar would be different.
    I hope that helps.

Craig

From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of John Chorazy
Sent: Tuesday, December 13, 2011 9:26 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Transitive Verb

Good morning...  In the following sentence model, which is the direct and the indirect object of the transitive verb? Is reading assigned, or is an implied reader(s) assigned? Funny that I've only today been caused to consider this more closely...


Mr. Chorazy assigned two chapters of reading.


I could reword this numerous ways: Two chapters were assigned for homework; The students were assigned two chapters, etc. Does either change who/what is actually being assigned? Is "to" implied somehow when using this particular verb?



Thank you!




--
John Chorazy
English III Honors and Academic
Pequannock Township High School
973.616.6000

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