Rather than go/going by air

[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.

 

[birdeen's call]

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.

 

[Raymott]

I consider them both correct. I can't even say what form I'd use.

 

[Mark Blazek]

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 [STRIKE]go[/STRIKE] going by car.

2. What about: "He would rather give up his job than see that happening."

 

[5jj]

Otherwise, only "rather than going" is right:

He takes/took/has taken/is taking the train rather than [STRIKE]go[/STRIKE] going by car.

'Go' seems fine to me.

 

[emsr2d2]

He takes/took/has taken/is taking the train rather than [STRIKE]go[/STRIKE] 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.

 

[anhnha]

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.

 

[emsr2d2]

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.

 

[anhnha]

No to both.

Could you tell me the reason for it?
Why I can't use parallel structures here?

 

[emsr2d2]

If "rather than" is followed by a verb, we use the bare infinitive or the present continuous and nothing else.