than any other后只能接单数名词吗

问题描述

老师说，than any other 后只能接单数名词；网上也说，than any other 后只能接单数名词。但我总觉得，这不合常理，为什么要用单数名词呢？有比较权威的观点吗？

另外，如果不是 than any other，而只是 any other 呢？它后也只能接单数名词吗？

很想听听专家老师的意见，非常感谢！

老师答疑

黎老师：

▲如果不是 than any other，而只是 any other, 它后面可以接单数或复数名词。例如：

Have you any other problems to discuss? 你们还有什么别的问题要讨论吗？（《张道真高级英语词典》p.1022）

▲than any other后一般接单数名词，在口语中也可以接复数名词。例如：

That movie scared me more than any other movie I have seen.（《英语惯用法大词典》p.1362）

I like dogs better than any other animal(s). 我喜欢狗胜于其他任何动物。(在这种结构的句子中一般用单数，（口）也可用复数)( 《外研社英汉多功能词典》p.1486)

下面两句都正确：

Tom plays football better than any other boy in his class.

Tom plays football better than any other boys in his class.

这两句都意为：汤姆足球踢得比他班里任何其他人都好。

（《薄冰英语惯用法词典》第1127页）

罗老师：

any other 后面既可接单数名词，也可以接复数名词。

张老师：

(than) any other 都既可跟单数名词又可跟复数名词，以跟单数名词更加常见。考试时宜用单数名词。湘教版初中英语教材八年级上p 79 有原句为证：
I like cats best because they are cuter than any other animals.
再给大家引述网络上很流行的一个作答吧，英语很简单就不译了：
The noun after "more than any" can come in the singular orplural form. The statement that the structure should only take a singular nounis totally groundless.
She is younger than any other students in her class. (plural, perfect) (Rg: She is younger than any other student. If no context is given for this sentence, I can be absolutely sure this example was coined by a Chinese author of English grammar. It is a perfect example of Chinglish.)
He liked Zurich more than any other city / cities.(singular or plural, perfect)
At that time I liked coke more than any other drinks. (plural;nothing wrong)
Tom's a big fan of Lady Gaga;he loves her songs more than anybody else's. (singular, perfect) (You use"anybody else" (singular!) because you don't want to say "anyother person".)
Do you  want more examples? Ireckon it wouldn't be necessary to have any more other than those provided.