than的用法相当广泛,这要视整个语境以及它在句中所处的位置和后面所接在句中的成分而定,多数情况下接的既不是动词不定式,也不是动名词,而是直接接动宾结构较多.当然,也有例外,偶尔不太正式的用法里面有接动名词的情况,不过比较少见.此时的动名词几乎完全是名词的意思了.
以rather than为例,解释一下它的用法.
rather than 可作连词词组使用,连接两个并列成分,表示在两者中间进行选择,意为“是 A 而不是 B ”、“要 A 不要 B ”、“宁愿 A 而不愿 B ”等,后面可以接名词、代词、形容词、副词、动词和动词不定式等.
1.接名词.例如：
He is a writer rather than a teacher.
与其说他是教师,不如说他是作家.
Tom,rather than his roommates,is to blame.
要受责备的是汤姆,而不是他的室友们.
The job will take months rather than weeks.
完成这项工作需要几个月,而不是几个星期.
2.接代词.例如：
You,rather than he,are my guest.
你是我的客人,而不是他.
We are to blame rather than they.
该受责备的是我们,而不是他们.
3.接形容词.例如：
The colour seems green rather than blue.
这颜色似乎是绿的,而不是蓝的.
It was made shorter rather than longer.
它被缩短了,而不是加长了.
These shoes are comfortable rather than pretty.
这些鞋子与其说漂亮,不如说舒服.
4.接副词.例如：
The ship sank quickly rather than slowly.
船沉得很快,而不是很慢.
He usually gets up early rather than late.
他经常起得早,而不是起得晚.
5.接动词.例如：
She left rather than stayed at home.
她不是呆在家里,而是走了.
Rather than cause trouble,he went away.
他宁可走开而不愿惹麻烦.
Rather than have the radio repaired,he’d like to buy a new one.
与其修理那部收音机,他想还不如买一部新的.
6.接介词短语.例如：
I’d prefer to read in the library rather than at home.
我宁愿在图书馆看书,也不愿在家里看书.
I’d prefer to do it in this way rather than in that way.
我喜欢这样做,而不愿意那样做.
He went to the park in the evening rather than in the morning.
他喜欢晚上去公园,而不喜欢早上去.
7.接动词的－ ing 形式.例如：
She likes dancing rather than singing.
她喜欢跳舞,而不喜欢唱歌.
It is snowing rather than raining outside.
外面在下雪,而不是在下雨.
She is laughing rather than crying.
她是在笑,而不是在哭.
8.接过去分词.例如：
He had the house rebuilt rather than repaired.
他宁愿重建房子,而不愿修缮.
9.接句子.例如：
We should help him rather than he should help us.
我们应该帮助他,而不是他应该帮助我们.
It was what he meant rather than what he said.
那是指他话中的意思,而不是他所说的话.
