At this year's Harvest Party, I stood around with a couple other nerdy moms discussing, of all things, the proper usage of "Than I" and "Than Me." If you ask me, it doesn't get any better than that.
We couldn't reach a definite conclusion and now I know why. Even the grammar books are sometimes convoluted on the issue.
Two camps of thought exist on this matter. One, the Conjunctionists, claim that "than" is always a conjunction and must therefore never be used as a preposition. The Prepositionists claim that "than" most certainly can function as both a conjunction and a preposition, depending on context.
So, which of these sentences is correct? "Joe likes Betty more than me"? or "Joe likes Betty more than I"? The only thing that is clear in this case, is that the two sentences could mean something completely different. The first could mean that "Joe likes Betty more than he likes me." OR it could mean that "Joe likes Betty more than I like Betty." The second can ONLY mean that "Joe likes Betty more than I like Betty."
So, here's the deal. The prepositionists are just flat wrong. (I have a feeling I'm going to regret saying that so emphatically!) In both cases, whatever the true meaning, the sentences are elliptical. That's just a fancy way of saying that implied words are left out. Upon first examination, "than" can appear to be functioning as a preposition...but it isn't. When the missing words are filled in, this becomes obvious.
Per our example: if "Joe likes Betty more than me," means that he likes her more than he likes me, the Objective Case Prounoun "me" is the correct choice, not because it is the Object of the Preposition, but because it is the Direct Object of "he likes me." In this case, "than" is a conjunction, "me" is the Direct Object.
If "Joe likes Betty more than I," means he likes her more than I like her, then "I" is the right choice because it is the Subject of the clause "I like her." In this case, "than" is also a conjunction, "I" is the Subject.
Clear as mud?
Conclusion and solution: both uses "than I" or "than me" can be correct, depending on context, but never because "than" is a preposition. So how do you know which one to use? Some of you true grammar nerds may parse sentences in your head as you speak and may be able determine, without a glitch, which function the pronoun has and choose correctly. For the rest of the population, the surest way to choose rightly, is to avoid the elliptical pattern of speech. Fill in those missing words and not only will you naturally choose the right pronoun (who would ever say, "Joe likes Betty more than me does"?) but you will also succeed in making your meaning perfectly clear.
9 comments:
Wow. I thought your account of things was the obvious answer. I'm surprised to learn there is controversy. Huzzah for elliptical speech! Here's another one for you: is it correct to say, "My car needs washed"? That's how we speak where I come from, though some sticklers have suggested it is only correct to say "needs washing," never "needs washed." I have my own theory about this, but I'm interested in what you think.
Well, Alicia, leave it to me to recount the obvious. Many online sites list than as a preposition and uphold its use contrary to what I have stated.
I'm afraid I have to disagree with your speech pattern. If you tried to parse and diagram that sentence, how would you do it?
Car = Subject
Needs = Verb
Washed = ???????
You need to add the "to be" for the verb form to work. I don't think the "elliptical" pattern applies here.
What you need to use is "washing." Why?
Car = Subject
Needs = Verb
Washing = D.O. (needs what?)
In this case, the verb wash functions as a noun, making it a gerund, and thus the sentence works.
So there's my argument. What's yours?
Lori: I agree with you!
Alicia: Where I come from, the saying would be "My car needs to be warshed!" And everybody understood it. Oh, my.
My theory: "My car needs washed" is a legitimate speech pattern because "car" = subject; "needs" = verb; "washed" = infinitive phrase, with "to be" being understood (elliptically, as we say). "To be" can be omitted because everyone understands it to be there.
Ha! The Scots are with me -- Q.E.D. "The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (4th ed.), under its entry for the verb 'need,' has this interesting Regional Note about the subject:
'When need is used as the main verb, it ca...n be followed by a present participle, as in The car needs washing, or by to be plus a past participle, as in The car needs to be washed. However, in some areas of the United States, especially western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio, many speakers omit to be and use just the past participle form, as in The car needs washed. This use of need with past participles is slightly more common in the British Isles, being particularly prevalent in Scotland.'"
Source: http://www.grammarphobia.com/blog/2009/10/house-cleaning.html.
From the Chicago Manual of Style, 16th edition:
5.44Pronoun case after “than” or “as . . . as”
The case of a pronoun following this kind of comparative structure, typically at the end of a sentence, depends on who or what is being compared. In my sister looks more like our father than I [or me], for example, if the point is whether the sister or the speaker looks more like their father, the pronoun should be nominative because it is the subject of an understood verb: my sister looks more like our father than I do. But if the point is whether the sister looks more like the father or the speaker, the pronoun should be objective because it is the object of a preposition in an understood sentence: my sister looks more like our father than she looks like me. Whatever the writer’s intent, the reader can’t be certain about the meaning. It would be better to reword the sentence and avoid the elliptical construction.
Also, that "than" is a subordinating conjunction:
5.201Special uses of subordinating conjunctions
Subordinating conjunctions or conjunctive phrases often denote the following relationships: (1) Comparison or degree—for example, than (if it follows comparative adverbs or adjectives, or if it follows else, rather, other, or otherwise), as, else, otherwise, rather, as much as, as far as, and as well as {Is a raven less clever than a magpie?} {these amateur musicians play as well as professionals} {it’s not true as far as I can discover}.
Thus saith Kate Turabian...
Tim, I never saw these comments until today. Thanks for providing official supporting documentation (as if MY word were not enough!).
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