[Grammar] John is an American dancer and choreographer, specializing in ...

[NAL123]

Consider this sentence of mine, please:

1) John is an American dancer and choreographer, specializing in contemporary dance.

Can I move the participle clause, in bold, to the front or middle of the main clause, without changing the sentence's meaning?

2) Specializing in contemporary dance, John is an American dancer and choreographer.

3) John, specializing in contemporary dance, is an American dancer and choreographer.

 

[tedmc]

Yes, you can, but it is more logical to state the discipline, then the specialisation.

 

[PeterCW]

Only the first option sounds natural to a native speaker.

Option 3 could be rewritten more naturally as John, a specialist in contemporary dance, is an American dancer and choreographer.

 

[tree123]

I'm not a teacher.

1) John is an American dancer and choreographer, specializing in contemporary dance.


2) Specializing in contemporary dance, John is an American dancer and choreographer.

Would you or someone else please explain why the second sentence is not natural?

When I read the three sentences, I think all of them are grammatically correct, aren't they?, And the differences among the sentences are the different parts are especially stressed.

For example, 'Specializing in contemporary dance' is more stressed in second sentence in contrast of the first sentence in which 'John's identity of an American dancer and choreorgrapher' is underlined.

Am I wrong about this?

3) John, specializing in contemporary dance, is an American dancer and choreographer.

John, who specializes in ..., is an American dancer...

Is this version natural?

 

[NAL123]

Would removing the comma from sentence 1) change its meaning?

1a) John is an American dancer and choreographer specializing in contemporary dance. (without the comma)

 

[Tarheel]

I don't think it changes the meaning, but it is, in my opinion, an improvement.

 

[tedmc]

I think "specialized" is more common participle than "specializing" to describe a professional in practice.