... lightly flutter, tap or drum your fingertips ...

[neb090]

Give yourself a face rub

Starting at your forehead and working down to you chin, lightly flutter, tap or drum your fingertips, varying the velocity, intensity and location until you've touched your entire face. I have several questions about this sentence:

1. Could I use from instead of at?
2. Could I use "start", and "work" instead of "starting" and "working?"
3. Why does the author use starting and working, while later use flutter, tap, and drum" instead of "fluttering, tapping, and drumming?"
4. Could I say, "....flutter, tap, or drum with your fingertips?"
5. If I could use "start" and "work", then could I also use "vary" instead of "varying?"

Source: 2013, prevention Magazine.

 

[teechar]

Give yourself a face rub

Starting at your forehead and working down to you chin, lightly flutter, tap or drum your fingertips, varying the velocity, intensity and location until you've touched your entire face.


1. Could I use from instead of at?

You can.

2. Could I use "start", and "work" instead of "starting" and "working?"

You can, but you'd need to add something before "lightly", e.g. "then".

3. Why does the author use starting and working, while later use flutter, tap, and drum" instead of "fluttering, tapping, and drumming?"

That's possible too.

4. Could I say, "....flutter, tap, or drum with your fingertips?"

Yes, but the original is better.

5. If I could use "start" and "work", then could I also use "vary" instead of "varying?"

You can if you put, for example, "and" before it.

 

[jutfrank]

3. Why does the author use starting and working, while later use flutter, tap, and drum" instead of "fluttering, tapping, and drumming?"

When giving instructions, it's common to use an -ing clause (especially with the verb 'start') to preface an imperative. Here's another example:

Starting at the pier, walk up Station Road and turn left at the church.

 

[neb090]

When giving instructions, it's common to use an -ing clause (especially with the verb 'start') to preface an imperative. Here's another example:

Starting at the pier, walk up Station Road and turn left at the church.

So it is different from:

Imagine yourself walking down the street with a bundle of roses held in your hand.

Am I correct?

 

[Tarheel]

Very different.

 

[neb090]

Very different.

I mean in my above sentence, I use the base form of the verb (imagine) as a beginning of the sentence, and in my OP sentence, if also I use base form of the verb "start" and "work" as the beginning of the sentence, are both of the sentences imperative?

 

[Tarheel]

I can give an opinion if I see the whole sentence.

 

[neb090]

I can give an opinion if I see the whole sentence.

1. Imagine yourself walking down the street with a bundle of roses held in your hand.

2. Start at your forehead and work down to you chin, then lightly flutter, tap or drum your fingertips, and vary the velocity, intensity and location until you've touched your entire face.

 

[Tarheel]

There's nothing remarkable about them. Are they imperative sentences? Well, since I haven't seen that word used in quite a while, I am reluctant to say. Why are there some words in bold print?

 

[teechar]

.... the sentence. Are both of the sentences imperative?

Yes, they are in the imperative mood.