Q:
How do I decide which pronoun to use after than—for example, than I or than me?
How do I decide which pronoun to use after than—for example, than I or than me?
A:
Surprisingly, you will find that than me is more often correct, or at least more often used, than than I. Than I is correct and is heard if a verb follows I (or any subject), in forms such as
than I am, than I do, than I have, than you want, than Bob expects, etc.
But, than I without a verb following does not appear to be heard very often.
When you use a pronoun after than, you can complete the sentence in your mind, although it is not necessary to speak the whole sentence.
(a) Howard cooks better than I.
(b) Howard cooks better than I cook.
(c) Howard cooks better than I do.
You can continue sentence (a), and then it’s clear that you need to use I as the subject of the next verb, which will be either cook or the auxiliary do. Sentences (a), (b), and (c) all have the same meaning. (a) would not appear very frequently, but (b) would sometimes, and (c) would appear very frequently.
Informally, with the same meaning, you can say better than me—as in sentence (d), below—although strict grammarians might object to this construction:
(d) Howard cooks better than me.
Sentences (a), (b), (c), and (d) all have the same meaning, then. To avoid problems—use a complete sentence, which would be (b) or (c) above. (c) would be the most usual and conversational construction.
It’s not difficult to select the proper pronoun when it’s clear that you are expressing the subject of the second clause, as in the sentence above about my cooking in relation to Howard’s cooking.
[source: Grammar Q & A Archive]
