The analyses of a convoluted sentence

Question

Specialization is the separation of a manufacturing process into distinct tasks and assignment of different tasks to different individuals.

I'd like to know if "into distinct tasks" is a complement of "manufacturing" and "a manufacturing process into distinct tasks" is an object of "of."
And I'd like to know if "to different tasks" is a complement of "different tasks" and "different task to different individuals" is an object of "of."

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

park sang joonI'd like to know if "into distinct tasks" is a complement of "manufacturing" and "a manufacturing process into distinct tasks" is an object of "of."And I'd like to know if "to different tasks" is a complement of "different tasks" and "different task to different individuals" is an object of "of."

Oof!

park sang joonSpecialization is the separation of a manufacturing process into distinct tasks and (the) assignment of different tasks to different individuals.

You're dealing with two "verbal nouns" here. separation, from separate; assignment, from assign.

To separate (something) into (parts), e.g., to separate (a manufacturing process) into (distinct tasks).

Also, to separate cream into curds and whey, to separate numbers into even numbers and odd numbers, to separate clothes into whites and coloreds, to separate money into bills and coins.

To assign (something) to (somebody), e.g., to assign tasks to individuals.

Also, to assign homework to students, to assign a beat to a police officer, to assign a project to an employee.
_______________

As a verbal noun, the object is indicated by "of".

to separate money into bills and coins > the separation of money into bills and coins
to assign homework to students > the assignment of homework to students.

Thus, the of-phrases in your sentence are complements of the preceding verbal nouns, and the other phrases, with their required prepositions ('into', 'to') are also complements of the same preceding verbal nouns.

the separation
... of a manufacturing process
... into distinct tasks
and
(the) assignment
... of different tasks
... to different individuals.

CJ

The analyses of a convoluted sentence

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