Prepositions

Question

Is the "than" always part of prepositions? If so, does the verb after it get the -ing ending always please?

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

Welcome back, Khoshtip. I'm glad to see that you are asking questions instead of answering them, but this one I do not understand at all. 'Than' is a part of no prepositions except perhaps 'other than' (or as indicated below, 'than whom). You might enjoy this usage note, however:

Usage note

Whether 'than' is to be followed by the objective or subjective case of a pronoun is much discussed in usage guides. When, as a conjunction, 'than' introduces a subordinate clause, the case of any pronouns following 'than' is determined by their function in that clause: 'He is younger than I am. I like her better than I like him'.When 'than' is followed only by a pronoun or pronouns, with no verb expressed, the usual advice for determining the case is to form a clause mentally after 'than' to see whether the pronoun would be a subject or an object. Thus, the sentences 'He was more upset than I' and 'She gave him more sympathy than I' are to be understood, respectively, as 'He was more upset than I was' and 'She gave him more sympathy than I gave him.' In the second sentence, the use of the objective case after 'than' ('She gave him more sympathy than me') would produce a different meaning ( 'She gave him more sympathy than she gave me'). This method of determining the case of pronouns after 'than' is generally employed in formal speech and writing.

'Than' occurs as a preposition in the old and well-established construction 'than whom' : 'a musician than whom none is more expressive.' In informal, especially uneducated, speech and writing, 'than' is usually treated as a preposition and followed by the objective case of the pronoun: 'He is younger than me.' 'She plays better poker than him, but you play even better than her.'

KhoshtipMan · Answer

What about "rather than" please?
Is the than a preposition in sentences like "I like staying at home rather than going/go out"?

Mister Micawber · Answer

rather than
conjunction

1—used with the infinitive form of a verb to indicate negation as a contrary choice or wish <rather than continue the argument, he walked away> <chose to sing rather than play violin>

2: and not <obscures rather than resolves the problem> <why do one thing rather than another?> <happy rather than sad>

KhoshtipMan · Answer

Thank you.

Prepositions

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