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Pedants' corner

Examples of using a bare infinitive with save/ than?

3 replies

BonnesVacances · 06/03/2020 12:39

I teach ESOL and have just done a class on gerunds and infinitives. I gave an example of using a bare infinitive with some prepositions such as except, but, save and than. But only had examples for but and except. One student asked for examples with save and than, but I can't think of any. Can anyone help?

The examples I have so far are:
She can do everything but cook.
She did nothing except cry.

Thanks.

OP posts:
ItsGoingTibiaK · 07/03/2020 22:41

I would rather sink than swim.

ItsGoingTibiaK · 07/03/2020 22:49

The save one is a little trickier as it is only used quite rarely as a preposition nowadays (and evening then it is more commonly found in the form ‘save for’) but you could say something like:

He would do anything save sleep.

BonnesVacances · 08/03/2020 08:42

Thank you! I came up with almost the exact same sentence for save. Maybe it only works in very specific circumstances now. Like the subjunctive. Cheers.

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