Possessive form in object?

[wookie]

"She's a better baker than Jim or I."

Does this sound right to you? I was taught that when in doubt take out the extraneous info and see. So I would always say she's better than me. Or I would say "She's...I am."

Gimme examples of when you'd use I instead of me. I learn better that way

[Mamja]

Originally Posted by wookie

"She's a better baker than Jim or I."

Does this sound right to you? I was taught that when in doubt take out the extraneous info and see. So I would always say she's better than me. Or I would say "She's...I am."

Gimme examples of when you'd use I instead of me. I learn better that way

Well, I'm not positive, but I thought that for comparisons, you would technically be saying...

"She's a better baker than Jim [is a baker] or I [am a baker]."

So therefore you would use I.

[allgirls]

grammatically correct but I think I'd go with
"She's a better baker than either Jim or I."

[midnightwriter]

Originally Posted by Mamja

Well, I'm not positive, but I thought that for comparisons, you would technically be saying...

"She's a better baker than Jim [is a baker] or I [am a baker]."

So therefore you would use I.

Yes, that's correct.

[InMediasRes]

It's correct, but it sounds awkward. I would try to rephrase if I could.

This isn't particularly official:

When making a comparison with "than" do we end with a subject form or object form, "taller than I/she" or "taller than me/her." The correct response is "taller than I/she." We are looking for the subject form: "He is taller than I am/she is tall." (Except we leave out the verb in the second clause, "am" or "is.") Some good writers, however, will argue that the word "than" should be allowed to function as a preposition. If we can say "He is tall like me/her," then (if "than" could be prepositional like like) we should be able to say, "He is taller than me/her." It's an interesting argument, but — for now, anyway — in formal, academic prose, use the subject form in such comparisons.

[allgirls]

Originally Posted by InMediasRes

It's correct, but it sounds awkward. I would try to rephrase if I could.

I agree..even the way I added either is still awkward to me. I'd rewrite it somehow.

[wookie]

So, if I wanted to say someone's better than me, just that, I'd say She's better/hungrier/happier than I? How would you rewrite this comparison?

[allgirls]

Originally Posted by wookie

So, if I wanted to say someone's better than me, just that, I'd say She's better/hungrier/happier than I? How would you rewrite this comparison?

I am not as hungry as she is.
She is hungrier than I am.



If it were fiction and not dialogue I'd skip it altogether and show it instead of telling it.

The buffet table was set against the wall, laden with food for the guests. I'd eaten already but she hadn't and headed in its direction immediately.

[wookie]

thank you. that helps