Quote:
Originally Posted by Doitsu
This reminds me of a Grammar Girl podcast that I listened to a while ago. Apparently, the problem is that than can be both a conjunction and preposition. I.e., both sides can technically claim that they're right. (For more information see the transcript that I linked to.)
As for the OP's question, if you search for "one in six boys are" with Google, you get about three times as many hits than for "one in six boys is," which doesn't really prove anything, after all, you get about 25 million hits for "recieve," which still hasn't been accepted as an alternative spelling of "receive."  |
Indeed, that's the debate. I, being {mumble} in age, stick with "than I," when the continuation of the sentence would be correct, as in "wiser than I (am)," etc. {shrug}. Yes, it's certainly more formal, but Ye Olden Nuns would have me for breakfast if I succumbed to the forces of Grammatical Darkness.
Of course, I think I've
forgotten so many things that it's a fairly useless fight, sad to say. LOL! Grammar school (in all senses of the word) was indeed a Long Time Ago, in a Youth Far Away. ;-)
Hitch