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Pructus Posted 11 years ago
Grammar
Rather than be
Hello...
I'd like some help on the construction, rather than + inf.
For example...
He died a hero rather than be captured.
Carter said he resigned, rather than be fired.
Most officers commit suicide rather than be captured.
A few of the long-term settlers here have threatened to commit suicide rather than be forced to leave their homes.
************
What can be the grammatical justification for this use of infinitive verb form?
If "than" is a preposition, than the verb form must be a gerund.
Then, here infinitive is used...
Maybe some modal auxiliary is omitted?
Or maybe this is some colloquial usage?
I'd like some help on the construction, rather than + inf.
For example...
He died a hero rather than be captured.
Carter said he resigned, rather than be fired.
Most officers commit suicide rather than be captured.
A few of the long-term settlers here have threatened to commit suicide rather than be forced to leave their homes.
************
What can be the grammatical justification for this use of infinitive verb form?
If "than" is a preposition, than the verb form must be a gerund.
Then, here infinitive is used...
Maybe some modal auxiliary is omitted?
Or maybe this is some colloquial usage?
Top answer
rather than is a conjunction phrase. It's not a prepositional phrase. BTW, in indirect speech, we normally prefer Carter said he had resigned....
- rather than is a conjunction phrase.
- It's not a prepositional phrase.
- BTW, in indirect speech, we normally prefer Carter said he had resigned....
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4 Answers
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rather than is a conjunction phrase. It's not a prepositional phrase.
BTW, in indirect speech, we normally prefer
Carter said he had resigned....
BTW, in indirect speech, we normally prefer
Carter said he had resigned....
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I see...
Thanks so much, Ivanhr!!
Also thanks for the tip, "Carter said he had reigned"....
If "rather than" is a conjunction.....
Then, "He died a hero rather than be captured." is of the structure "He died a hero rather than he be captured., where "he be" is subjunctive present?
Then, it is like, "Carter said he had resigned, rather than he be fir
Thanks so much, Ivanhr!!
Also thanks for the tip, "Carter said he had reigned"....
If "rather than" is a conjunction.....
Then, "He died a hero rather than be captured." is of the structure "He died a hero rather than he be captured., where "he be" is subjunctive present?
Then, it is like, "Carter said he had resigned, rather than he be fir
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