一、后接人称代词用主格还是宾格
由于than既可用作连词也可用作介词,所以当后接人称代词时,可用主格也可用宾格。通常认为在正式文体中多用主格,在口语或非正式文体中多用宾语。如:
Everyone here is taller than I [me]. 这儿的每一个人都比我高。
Her sister swims faster than she [her]. 她姐姐游泳比她快。
但是,若人称代词之后跟有动词,则只能用主格。如:
Everyone here is taller than I am. 这儿的每一个人都比我高。
Her sister swims faster than she does. 她姐姐游泳比她快。
注意:有时用主格或宾格会导致意思的变化。比较:
I love you more than he (likes you). 我比他更爱你。
I love you more than (he likes) him. 我爱你胜过爱他。
二、后接动词用不定式还是动名词
1. 当连接两个非谓语动词时,通常应使用一样的形式。如:
It is much easier to get into debt than to get out of it. 借债容易还债难。
He likes playing chess more than watching TV. 与看电视相比,他更喜欢下棋。
比较:
He thinks it is safer to drive himself than (to) let me drive.
=He thinks that driving himself is safer than letting me drive. 他认为他自己开车比让我开车要更安全些。
2. 若不是连接两个非谓语动词,则其后出现的动词通常用动名词形式(虽然也可用不定式,但不如用动名词普通)。如:
There are worse calamities than failing your driving test. 比起你驾驶考试不合格来说,更大的灾难还多着呢。
Nothing gives me more pleasure than listening to Mozart. 再没有比听莫扎特的乐曲更让我高兴的事了。
Nothing is more unpleasant than finding [to find] insects in your bath. 最使人不快的是在浴室里发现有虫子。
三、引导比较状语从句的时态问题
若than引导的比较状语从句与主句动作不一致,可以根据情况使用适当的时态形式。如:
He drives faster than he did a year ago. 他开车比一年以前快了。
The house is rather bigger than we thought. 这所房子比我们想的大得多。
若主句为将来时,than引导的从句可用现在时态表示将来,也可直接使用将来时态。如:
We’ll probably drive faster than you do [will]. 我们开车可能会比你们快。
四、引导比较状语从句的倒装问题
than引导比较状语从句时,从句语序通常不需倒装,但在正式文体中,有时也可倒装。如:
City dweller have a higher death rate than country people do.
=City dweller have a higher death rate than do country people. 城市居民死亡率比农村居民高。
五、引导比较状语从句且在从句中充当成分
有时可引导一个从句并在从句中充当句子成分(主语、宾语、表语),为便于理解,有时可视为than后省略了what:
We don’t want to do more than is necessary. 我们不想做不必要的事情。
The pain was almost more than he could bear. 这样的痛苦几乎使他受不了。
She’s not a very good manager she always spends more money than she earns. 她不大会理财——总是入不敷出。
Life here is much easier than it used to be. 如今在此地生活比起从前可舒服多了。
比较下面一句,than后的expected为省略结构:
He returned three days earlier than (he was) expected. 他回来得比预料的要早三天。
六、后接时间或条件状语从句
若语义需要,有时其后可接when引导的时间状语从句以及if 引导的条件状语从句。如:
You are a little fatter than when I saw you last. 你比我上次见你时胖点了。
Joe carries only nine pounds more than when he was twenty. 乔比他20岁时只重了九磅。
They work better together than if they are alone. 他们一起干比他们单干效果要好。