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
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”与“not +比较级+than”
(1) “no +比较级+than”用于否定两者,表示“与……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……更”“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 与 not less than
(1) no less than 有两个意思:一是表示“多达”“有……之多”,强调数量之多;二是表示“简直”“与……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 £
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“与……一样”“不比……差”,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…than与not 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”“同……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)