Rather than go/going by air
1. Rather than go/going by air, I'd take the slowest train.
Are both go and going correct for the 'choice' context? Is one of them better than the other?
2. Rather than that should happen, he would give up his job.
How does this sentence sound to native speakers (about the 'rather than clause)? Is there any other more natural ways to say it?
Thank you in advance.
Re: Rather than go/going by air
I believe both are possible in native speech, although "going" could be found incorrect by some. Notice that you're making a choice between taking the slowest train and going by air and the taking of the train is (correctly) expressed with the infinitive form of the verb. Why not use the same form for the going by air?
Please note that I'm not a native speaker, and that may and often does influence my perception of English grammar and usage.
Re: Rather than go/going by air
I consider them both correct. I can't even say what form I'd use.
Re: Rather than go/going by air
Quote:
Originally Posted by
joham
1. Rather than go/going by air, I'd take the slowest train.
Are both go and going correct for the 'choice' context? Is one of them better than the other?
2. Rather than that should happen, he would give up his job.
How does this sentence sound to native speakers (about the 'rather than clause)? Is there any other more natural ways to say it?
Thank you in advance.
1. It seems it depends on the tense of the alternative. For alternatives in the infinitive, both go/going are fine:
He would/should/need to ... take the train rather than go/going by car.
Otherwise, only "rather than going" is right:
He takes/took/has taken/is taking the train rather than go going by car.
2. What about: "He would rather give up his job than see that happening."
Re: Rather than go/going by air
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Mark Blazek
Otherwise, only "rather than going" is right:
He takes/took/has taken/is taking the train rather than go going by car.
'Go' seems fine to me.
Re: Rather than go/going by air
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Mark Blazek
He takes/took/has taken/is taking the train rather than go going by car.
I would say:
He takes the train rather than go by car.
He took the train rather than go by car.
He is taking the train rather than going by car.
Re: Rather than go/going by air
Quote:
I would say:
He takes the train rather than go by car.
He took the train rather than go by car.
He is taking the train rather than going by car.
How about the following sentences?
He takes the train rather than goes by car.
He took the train rather than went by car.
Re: Rather than go/going by air
Quote:
Originally Posted by
anhnha
How about the following sentences?
He takes the train rather than goes by car.
He took the train rather than went by car.
No to both.
Re: Rather than go/going by air
Could you tell me the reason for it?
Why I can't use parallel structures here?
Re: Rather than go/going by air
If "rather than" is followed by a verb, we use the bare infinitive or the present continuous and nothing else.