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- "हमारे पास उनसे ज़्यादा जानवर…
17 Comments
1898
We have more animals than they do was rejected but is better English. This translation actually means we have more animals than there are people in that group.
The issue is really about the word 'than'. It is treated as a preposition in these cases and so 'than me' 'than them' is correct. It has to do with how Latin grammar rules have been illogically are applied to English.
- 409
...but "than" is not a preposition. I am curious as to whether "than them" is current in Indian English, because it's comprehensible but wrong where I live.
They should at least accept "We have more animals than they." That is literal enough.
- 437
पीकचु would give a thumbs up if only he had thumbs. Since he doesn't, I'll give a lingot on his behalf.
We have more animals than they - is correct English. "... Than them" is simply incorrect with no way of making it correct. Shame on Duolingo!
Actually, this sentence is awkward, but I think not wrong if the meaning is "We have more animals than just the ones you see there." That would be more idiomatically expressed as "We have more animals than these."
'than they have' is grammatically correct and therefore should not be rejected. 'than them' is colloquial and therefore acceptable, but surely the correct grammatical formulation should not be marked wrong.
- 437
Report it, selecting "My answer should be accepted".
It annoys me, too. But the developers don't monitor the discussion forums. The only way they'll ever fix this is if a lot of people report it.
Correct English grammar dictates that the answer should be "We have more animals than they have.' Or just 'than they...' It is true people do say 'than them' just as they say 'I am taller than him" rather than "I am taller than he [is]' but surely the correct grammar should not be marked wrong on a language learning course.
- 409
I know that it's the only thing that Duolingo accepts here, but "than them" just grates on my soul.
