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Musicgold Posted 17 years ago
Grammar

Rather than disappoint /disappointing

Hi,
Which one of the following sentences is more appropriate. I feel # 2 is more appropriate.

1. Rather than disappoint its investors, The company is planning to ....
2. Rather than disappointing its investors, The company is planning to ....

Thanks,
MG.
  

Top answer

Either can be correct. From what little context you've given, I suspect the sentence goes on in such a way that your first version is better. CJ

— CalifJim

  • Either can be correct.
  • From what little context you've given, I suspect the sentence goes on in such a way that your first version is better.
  • CJ
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6 Answers
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Either can be correct. From what little context you've given, I suspect the sentence goes on in such a way that your first version is better.

CJ
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CJ,

Thanks. I am still not clear why #1 is better.

'Rather than' needs to be followed by a noun or noun phrase, and therefore I felt the gerund 'disappointing' is more appropriate.

Take another example,

3. Rather than work to live, at present, we live to work.

4. Rather than working to live, at present, we live to work.
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When you use the bare infinitive, you suggest a future course of action.

Rather than wait for them, I decided to go on without them.
Rather than do each one separately, you should do them as a group.

The use of the word planning in your first example suggested a future course of action, so I thought the bare infinitive sounded better.

CJ
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Marigold: A helpful "secret" is that if you are ever in doubt whether to use the base form or gerund after "rather than," just use "instead of" + gerund, and you will always be using "good" English.
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CJ,

Thanks a lot. Now it is clear to me.
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AnonymousMarigold: A helpful "secret" is that if you are ever in doubt whether to use the base form or gerund after "rather than," just use "instead of" + gerund, and you will always be using "good" English.


Thanks.
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