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Participial phrase or infinitive - Expert Advice needed

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by sungoal » Fri Sep 02, 2011 11:35 pm
Hi,

Could anybody help me in the below sentence:

Like Mozart, Frederic began performing at age six.

Is this sentence correct?
My Doubt: performing at age six is a participial phrase and a participial phrase modifies noun or pronoun. In this sentence, this participial phrase is modifying the verb began. So isn't this incorrect?

Shouldn't the sentence be Like Mozart, Frederic began to perform at age six? :?:
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by aspirant2011 » Fri Sep 02, 2011 11:39 pm
sungoal wrote:Hi,

Could anybody help me in the below sentence:

Like Mozart, Frederic began performing at age six.

Is this sentence correct?
My Doubt: performing at age six is a participial phrase and a participial phrase modifies noun or pronoun. In this sentence, this participial phrase is modifying the verb began. So isn't this incorrect?

Shouldn't the sentence be Like Mozart, Frederic began to perform at age six? :?:
I think the sentence could have been better if it were written like this

Like Mozart, Frederic began performing at the age of six
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by GMATGuruNY » Sat Sep 03, 2011 2:57 am
sungoal wrote:Hi,

Could anybody help me in the below sentence:

Like Mozart, Frederic began performing at age six.

Is this sentence correct?
My Doubt: performing at age six is a participial phrase and a participial phrase modifies noun or pronoun. In this sentence, this participial phrase is modifying the verb began. So isn't this incorrect?

Shouldn't the sentence be Like Mozart, Frederic began to perform at age six? :?:
A present participle (such as performing) can function as an adjective or as a noun. A VERBing that functions as a noun is called a gerund.

In your sentence, performing is not a modifier but a NOUN: it is the direct object of the verb began. What was it that Mozart began? He began PERFORMING.

Began performing and began to perform are both correct.
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