than用法的10个难点

 

 

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

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。

七、同质比较还是异质比较

than 通常用于两个不同的人或物在同一方面进行比较,但有时指的可能是同一个人或物在两个不同的方面进行比较,此时只用于more…than…结构,而不能用

九、than any other后接名词用单数还是复数

than any other后接名词时通常用单数形式,很少用复数。如

He swims faster than any other student in his class. 他比班上的其他任何学生都游得快。

More heat is lost through the head than any other part of the body. 从头部散发的热量比身体的其他任何部位都多。

十、几组容易理解出错的than习语

1.“no +比较级+than”“not +比较级+than”

(1) “no +比较级+than”用于否定两者,表示……一样不,其义大致相当于其中形容词或副词的反义词用于as…as…结构。如:

He is no richer than a beggar.=He is as poor as a beggar. 他穷如乞丐。

This one is no better than that one.=This one is as bad as that one. 这个与那个一样不好。

(2) “not +比较级+than”的意思是不比……”“不如。如:

He is not richer than you. 他不如你富有。

This one is not better than that one. 这个不如那个好。

2. no less than, no less...than not less than

(1) no less than 有两个意思:一是表示多达”“……之多,强调数量之多;二是表示简直”“……没有差别。如:

We walked no less than three miles. 我们走了三英里之远。

We won no less than 500 in a competition. 我们在一次比赛中就赢了500英镑。

It is no less than robbery to ask for so much.  要这么多,简直跟抢劫没什么两样。

(2) no less...than 意为……一样”“不比……,强调两者具有同等性。如:

    He is no less wise than you. 他跟你一样聪明(他并不比你笨)

    A dolphin is no less a clever animal than a dog is. 海豚与狗同样都是聪明的动物。

(3) not less than 意为不下于”“至少。比较:

    He has no less than seven daughters. 他有七个女儿之多。

He has not less than seven daughters. 他至少有七个女儿。

3. no more than, no more…thannot more than

(1) no more than表示仅仅”“只有”“只不过,强调程度低或数量少。如:

He is no more than an ordinary English teacher. 他只不过是个普通的英文老师。

He has no more than three shirts. 他只有3件衬衫。

(2) not more than 表示至多,与at most同义。如:

He has not more than three shirts. 他最多只有3件衬衫(含有或许还不到3件之意)

(3) no more...than 表示对两者都否定, 意为既不……也不”“……一样不。如:

He is no more a writer than a painter. 他既不是画家,也不是作家。

A whale is no more a fish than a horse is. 如同马不是鱼一样,鲸也不是鱼。

(编辑  陈根花)