Pronoun Case After 'Than' or 'As'

Study Notes

Pronoun Case After "Than" or "As"

Pronouns following "than" or "as" are often in the objective or nominative case. This rule applies in comparison contexts, or when the pronoun functions as the object of a verb or preposition.
"Than": The pronoun following "than" typically takes the objective case, except within certain elliptical constructions.
"As": The pronoun following "as" usually takes the nominative case (I, you, we, they, he, she, it), but the objective case is used when the pronoun is the object of a verb or preposition.

Examples of Objective Case Pronouns After "Than"

Comparison: He is taller than I (am). The objective case "I" is used in this comparison.
Phrasal comparison: She is more intelligent than me. The objective case "me" is the object of the comparison.

Examples of Nominative Case Pronouns After "As"

Introduction: She was as brave as he (was). The nominative case "he" is used to establish an identity.
Formal Comparisons (emphasis): She is as quiet as a mouse. "A" is a noun, but has no comparative form. The pronoun/adjective in this sentence is as and the nominative case is used

Examples of Objective Case Pronouns After "As" (object function)

Object of a Verb: I'm as happy as they made me. Here, "they" is the object of the verb "made".
Object of a Preposition: You are as clever as her. The objective case "her" is the object of the preposition "as".

Elliptical Constructions and Pronoun Case

Elliptical constructions often omit parts of a comparison sentence. The proper pronoun case depends on the implied verb or preposition.
Example: Henry is smarter than I (am). While the word "am" is not present, it is understood. The proper pronoun here is subjective in this implicit verb context.

Exceptions and Considerations

Emphasis/special focus: In certain idiomatic uses or for emphasis, the nominative case may be used after "than" even though a comparison is present.
Usage: The rule is less rigid in casual speech compared to formal writing.
Context: Always consider the function of the pronoun (subject, direct object, indirect object, etc.) when deciding its case.

Summary of Pronoun Use

Following 'than' and 'as':

Generally, use the objective and nominative case
Be aware of implied verbs—context and usage govern.
For formal writing, be meticulous and observe the rules.

Description

Test your understanding of pronoun cases after 'than' and 'as'. This quiz covers the rules for using nominative and objective cases in comparative sentences. Identify correct usage through examples and comparisons.