Beginning vs. Begin

[Doris U.]

Test No. incompl/elem-6 "Start/Begin", question 4

I read the ......... of that book but I couldn't possibly read the whole story.

(a) starting
(b) start
(c) beginning
(d) begin

Test No. incompl/elem-6 "Start/Begin", answer 4

I read the beginning of that book but I couldn't possibly read the whole story.

Correct answer: (c) beginning
_________________________

Why not begin???

Doris U.

[Alan]

You need the noun here beginning.
_________________
English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Party Conferences

[daemon99]

And why not starting?
_________________
Non-native speaker of English
=================================
If you saw a heat wave, would you wave back?

[Alan]

Hi,

'Starting' is not usually used as a noun but more often in an adjectival function as 'starting point'.

Alan
_________________
English as a Foreign Language
You can read my EFL story Cool Expressions