He's older than I/me?

[Soleil]

Hello!
Which one is correct?
1. He's older than I.
2. He's older than me.

 

[5jj]

The first is preferred by older purists.
The second is considered normal and natural by most native speakers.

 

[Soleil]

The first is preferred by older purists.
The second is considered normal and natural by most native speakers.

So, at the exam, it’s better to use the 1 one.

 

[emsr2d2]

So, at the in an exam, it’s better to use the 1 first one.

Are you asking us or telling us?

 

[Soleil]

Are you asking us or telling us?

I'm asking.

 

[emsr2d2]

I'm asking.

In that case, you should have worded it as a question. See below.

So, at the in an exam, it’s is it better to use the 1 first one?

I recommend you use the first one.

 

[jutfrank]

I'd very strongly recommend you use the second one, whether it's for an exam or not. I imagine that most examiners of the ESL exams I work with would think you'd made an error if you said the first one.

 

[5jj]

None of the examination boards I worked with would have penalised any candidate who produced He's older than I. It is correct!

 

[jutfrank]

None of the examination boards I worked with would have penalised any candidate who produced He's older than I. It is correct!

They almost certainly would nowadays. If the examiner could determine that the choice of the very old-fashioned and rarely used He's older than I were consistent with the speaker's use of English, then yes, it wouldn't be penalised, of course. But that's extremely unlikely for a learner, so it would probably be considered an error.

 

[Rover_KE]

Using the same pattern with other subject pronouns, the following don't sound at all natural to me:

Our brothers are older than we.
You are taller than she.
We are smarter than they.
I'm cleverer than he.

 

[Tarheel]

@Rover_KE Please don't do that anymore.

 

[emsr2d2]

Using the same pattern with other subject pronouns, the following don't sound at all natural to me:

Our brothers are older than we.
You are taller than she.
We are smarter than they.
I'm cleverer than he.

My grandfather (born in 1921) would have used 2 and 4. I don't think I ever heard him use 1 and 3 but it's possible.