I'm trying to correct a TESOL course activity I did awhile ago after getting some feedback, but I am totally lost! my teacher made a correction to it and now I don't understand what the pattern is the the last two words (see below example 3)

Due to the riots (adv) lots of injuries (s) occurred (v) to innocent people



What I had originally was the following:

Due to (adverbial) the riots (s) lots of injuries (Adverbial) occurred (Verb)

to innocent bystanders (Indirect object)



could someone please explain what 'to innocent bystanders' has now become? my teacher didn't seem to indicate on her suggested version above, ans I can't work it out, as to me, the word to is a verb, innocent is an adjective and people is a noun, so what does this make this last phrase? a preposition??? I'm so confused!

is it, "to the innocent bystanders"? ..my uneducated guess..

I don't blame you for being confused. I am wondering where the direct object of the sentence is if 'innocent bystanders' is the indirect object, so I am confused, too! Sorry to be of little help. One more thing: the word 'to' is a preposition in this sentence. It is not a verb. The word 'to' crops up when expressing the infinitives of verbs, eg to live, to be, to go, etc. but it is not a verb itself. I hope that helps a little.

Should it not be 'Owing to the riots.....'?

I was taught the 'due to' was only used where thanks were due.

As in the shop sign 'Closed due to a funeral' indicating that the shop owner did not like the person whose funeral they are attending because they are thankful to be attending!

I've never heard that before. Are you saying "due to" should only be used as a substitute for "thanks to"?

Surely, that idea has long since died in English.

Interesting.

'To innocent bystanders' is a prepositional phrase modifying the verb 'occurred', so 'to' is a 'preposition'. The prepositional phrase duties as an adverb, because it modifies the verb 'occurred'. I hope this can help in some ways.