Hi Joshnit
vis-a vis your request
In essence both usages are correct technically; It all depends upon whether you use than as a conjunction or preposition. If you are using ‘than’ as a subordinate conjunction, joining a main clause and a sub clause, then ‘than he (than he + the elliptical verb) is acceptable.
On the contrary, if you are using ‘than’ as a preposition, then what follows cannot be a clause but simply a noun or pronoun or noun phrase. Now let’s see the topic in question.
The man was always aware, sometimes proudly and sometimes resentfully, that he was a small-town Midwesterner who was thrust into a world that was dominated by wealthier, better-educated, and more polished people than him.
(A) who was thrust into a world that was dominated by wealthier, better-educated, and more polished people than him
(B) who had been thrust into a world that was dominated by more wealthy, educated, and polished people than him
(C) who had been thrust into a world dominated by wealthier, better-educated, and people more polished than he was
(D) thrust into a world dominated by more wealthy, educated, and polished people than him
(E) thrust into a world dominated by wealthier, better-educated, and more polished people than he
Here in my opinion, you are comparing wealthier, better and more polished people with some other human being. Now the crux is that wealthier, better educated and more polished people are objects of the preposition ‘by’. So you have to compare wealthier, better educated and more polished with another object namely ‘him’.
Here is yet another way to ascertain this; the reversal test. Let us now interchange both the words and see whether we can get the meaning rightly.
1. dominated by him than by wealthier, better-educated, and more polished people
2. dominated by wealthier, better-educated, and more polished people than he( was)
3. dominated by he ( was ) than by wealthier, better-educated, and more polished people
4. dominated by him than by wealthier, better-educated, and more polished people
You see choices No 1 and 4 retain the meaning, while 2 and 3 do not
There is yet another view that in sentences, where the verb is originated from the base verb ‘be” such as to be, is, was ,are, were, , will be and the like, and also in the case of verbs such as seem, appear, look, then you use ‘than’ only as a preposition and not as a conjunction
Ex; I am taller than him
I look/ appear/ seem to be taller than him
Hence, by all counts, I would prefer -than him- over other choices.
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