Pronoun Case After 'Than' or 'As'

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.