but/other than

[Taka]

Which is/are wrong among these below?


There is nothing she can do other than to wait for him.
There is nothing she can do other than wait for him.
There is nothing she can do other than waiting for him.

There is nothing she can do but to wait for him.
There is nothing she can do but wait for him.
There is nothing she can do but waiting for him.


The last one seems wrong to me.

 

[emsr2d2]

Which is/are wrong among these below?


There is nothing she can do other than to wait for him.
There is nothing she can do other than wait for him.
There is nothing she can do other than waiting for him.

There is nothing she can do but to wait for him.
There is nothing she can do but wait for him.
There is nothing she can do but waiting for him.


The last one seems wrong to me.

The last one in each case is entirely incorrect.
The first one in each case does not require "to" before the verb.
The middle one in each case entirely correct.

In order to use "to + verb", it would be better to say "There is nothing for her to do but/than to wait for him".

 

[Taka]

The first one in each case does not require "to" before the verb.

Does your 'not required' mean that it would be OK with 'to' before the verb; it can be omitted?

 

[emsr2d2]

Does your 'not required' mean that it would be OK with 'to' before the verb; it can be omitted?

I would go so far as to say it's not right with "to".

 

[Taka]

Hmm...OK. And about this:

The last one in each case is entirely incorrect.

,which doesn't necessarily mean that 'than+doing' is always wrong and 'than+(to) do' is always correct, or does it?

 

[emsr2d2]

Hmm...OK. And about this:



,which doesn't necessarily mean that 'than+doing' is always wrong and 'than+(to) do' is always correct, or does it?

I'm not sure what you mean. "There is nothing she can do than waiting for him" is absolutely wrong. Always.

 

[Taka]

Oops. Sorry. I've confused 'but' with '(other) than'.

These two sound natural, right?

She thinks of nothing but making money.
We have no choice but to go.

 

[emsr2d2]

Oops. Sorry. I've confused 'but' with '(other) than'.

These two sound natural, right?

She thinks of nothing but making money.
We have no choice but to go.

Yes, those two are fine. They would both be fine with "other than" as well.

She thinks of nothing other than making money.
We have no choice other than to go.

 

[Taka]

In some cases 'but/other than doing' works but in some other cases it doesn't.

What do you think is behind this?

 

[Taka]

Those two are okay.

Barb, do you also think the first one in each case at the beginning of this thread sounds wrong with "to" before the verb?

 

[Barb_D]

I don't know if it's actually wrong. However, it sounds wrong.