Practice English in Mylot

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Skill 19: Invert the subject and verb with comparisons

An inverted subject an verb may occur also after a comparison. The inversion of a subject and verb after a comparison is optional, rather than required, and it is a rather formal structure. There have been a number of inverted comparisons on recent TOEFL tests, so you should be familiar with this structure.

My sister spends more hours in the office than John.
My sister spends more hours in the office than John does.
My sister spends more hours in the office than does John.

All three of these examples contain the comparison more... than, and all three are correct in English. It is possible to have the noun John alone, as in the first example; it is possible that the comparison is followed by the subject and verb John does, as in the second example; it is also possible that the comparison is followed by the inverted subject and verb does John, as in the third example.

INVERTED SUBJECT AND VERBS WITH COMPARISONS

The subject and verb may invert after a comparison. The following structures are both possible.

s v comparison s v
we were more prepared than the other performers were.


s v comparison v s
we were more prepared than were the other performers.

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