answer and explanation, please

[joenuts]

1. I suddenly found myself unsure of the correct pronoun in this sentence:
Where can you find a better pianist than (she/her)?
2. Is there anything wrong with this sentence? (It's about endangered species.)
A dramatic example is the vicuna, a gazelle-like relative of the camels, which lived in the high Andes.

[Tdol]

1- 'Her' is much more common, but many purists would prefer 'she' because it's after a conjunction. If you find 'she' strange, you could use 'than she is'.
2-

[joenuts]

Originally Posted by tdol

1- 'Her' is much more common, but many purists would prefer 'she' because it's after a conjunction. If you find 'she' strange, you could use 'than she is'.
2-

Thanks. Anyway, the problem with being an EFL teacher is that you are supposed to learn all the grammar rules, but apply them selectively. I find it hard to be consistent (and teach the students consistency) because there's always a gap between what's right (or 'pure' or 'purist') and what's common.

[Tdol]

I think that taking a purist view will lead students to confusion when they come across the realities of native usage. I have a colleague in the States who told me that one of his colleagues teaches 'It is I' as the correct form. I understand the argument about copular verbs not taking objects, but does anyone really use it? Where there are alternatives, like if I was/if I were, there's always the formal cop-out- you can say that form x is preferred in formal language.

[joenuts]

Originally Posted by tdol

I think that taking a purist view will lead students to confusion when they come across the realities of native usage. I have a colleague in the States who told me that one of his colleagues teaches 'It is I' as the correct form. I understand the argument about copular verbs not taking objects, but does anyone really use it? Where there are alternatives, like if I was/if I were, there's always the formal cop-out- you can say that form x is preferred in formal language.

Yes, I do say that all the time, and the students just grunt and complain.

[Tdol]

Try hitting them.