Subject Verb Object (identify the factors)

[fenglish]

Hi,

When tuning a database, it is important to have an established baseline for later comparison when the system is running poorly. A baseline data point helps identify the factors to check when diagnosing new performance problems.

I found the above sentence from Oracle online document Using Statspack, and I think that "identify the factors" should be change to "identification the factors" according to SVO (sentence structure),

Which word is correct? identify or identification ? and WHY?

Thanks.

 

[TheParser]

Hi,

When tuning a database, it is important to have an established baseline for later comparison when the system is running poorly. A baseline data point helps identify the factors to check when diagnosing new performance problems.

I found the above sentence from Oracle online document Using Statspack, and I think that "identify the factors" should be change to "identification the factors" according to SVO (sentence structure),

Which word is correct? identify or identification ? and WHY?

Thanks.

***NOT A TEACHER***fenglish, good morning. (1) I believe that "identify" is correct. (2) A baseline data point (subject) + helps (verb) + (to) identify the factors....(infinitive phrase used as object). Thank you.

 

[orangutan]

I also think "identify" is correct, but for a slightly different reason: the object in this sentence is omitted (in this case I would understood it as referring to "people in general").

Compare: "A baseline datapoint always helps." (Object not expressed)

It would also be possible to say: "...helps identification of the factors", in which case the whole long phrase from "identification" onwards functions as the object.