JS Tip 15: From the Writing Workshops: Making Comparisons

After last week’s tip, Wes Barton of Wells Fargo asked, “Which sentence is correct: ‘She is taller than me’ or ‘She is taller than I’?”

Good question. The correct answer: “She is taller than I.”

The sentence may sound strange at first, but when a pronoun follows the word “than” (or “as”) in a comparison, think of the missing word (or words) and you’ll have no problem deciding which case (subjective or objective) to use.

The missing word in the example is “am”: “She is taller than I [am].” Consider the alternative: “She is taller than me [am].” No. That sounds goofy.

It works the other way as well: “I am taller than she [is].” Cool, huh?

And congratulations to Carol Oman for being the first to recognize “Madison and Unger” as Oscar and Felix, the “Odd Couple.” She received a Jefferson Smith Reference Book, a Cadbury’s bar, and a really official-looking certificate to hang at her desk.

Next week: Leadership and using praise.