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问题描述
下面哪个句子是对的？都对？都不对？
There were many more people at the meeting than was supposed.
There were many more people at the meeting than it was supposed.
There were many more people at the meeting than what was supposed.
如果三句都对，那它们的区别是什么？
谢谢专家老师的解答！
老师答疑
蒋老师：
▲关于这个问题，我与曹老师的看法稍有不同。我觉得第一句是对的。用单数 was 完全没有问题。其实这里的 than was supposed 在意义上相当于 than it was supposed，这里的之所以不用 it，是因为这里的 it 用作了主语。原句意思相当于：
We supposed that there would be many people at the meeting, but there were many more than we supposed. =… but there were many more than (it) was supposed.
等号后的 it 放在括号内并不是表示可以省略，它在这里必须去掉，因为 than 在此用作was supposed 的主语，所以不再用 it 这个主语；这里之所以这样改写，是为了便于从意义上作出理解。再比较：
We supposed that he was ill.
=It was supposed that he was ill.
▲下面是几个与本问题相关的例证（尤其是第1句，与本问题高度一致）：
There were many more deaths than was first supposed. 死亡的人数要比最初预想的多得多。（朗文）
The survey implies (that) more people are moving house than was thought. 调查显示，准备搬家的人口比想像的要多。（牛津）
The repairs to the road were finished two weeks ahead of time (= sooner than was expected). 道路维修工程提前两星期完成。（剑桥）
曹老师：
There were many more people at the meeting than was supposed.
There were many more people at the meeting than it was supposed.
There were many more people at the meeting than what was supposed.
以上三个都不对。
应为: There were many more people at the meeting than (had been) supposed.
刘老师：
曹老师可能一时疏忽。这里，含有比较意义的than，用作关系代词，在本句中指代整个前文的内容，故用单数。因为主句的整个内容才是suppose 的逻辑宾语，而不是people本身。简言之，than 后面谓语动词的单复数形式，取决于关系代词than 指代什么。
此外，具有这种用法的动词，都是能接宾语从句的动词，多表示“认为，预料，论述，指出，解释，建议，要求” 等意义。
其实，网友的问题与刚才讨论的这个问题，关系不很大。
黎老师：
There were many more people at the meeting than was supposed. 是正确的。这里的than是主语。
《牛津英语用法指南》第三版580.7指出：
如果意思清楚，在从句中经常用一般过去时动词形式，而不用现在完成时和过去完成时动词形式。
...... For thirty years, he had done no more than he (had) needed to. 三十年来，他只干了他需要干的工作。
陈老师：
下面哪个句子是对的？都对？都不对？
(1)There were many more people at the meeting than was supposed.
(2)There were many more people at the meeting than it was supposed.
(3)There were many more people at the meeting than what was supposed.
如果三句都对，那它们的区别是什么？
谢谢专家老师的解答！
第一个句子是正确的，than为关系代词，在比较状语从句作主语成分。
以下2个例句都是来自权威字典
(1)There were many more people deaths than was first supposed.（来自权威朗文字典）
(than指代整句话内容，因此作主语，其谓语需要用单数）
（than作为关系词，指代suppose that 宾语从句内容）
（suppose that 为主动，被动为it is/was supposed that)
(被动句中形式主语it，被关系代词than取代了，因此必须去掉从句中形式主语it方可认为是正确than was supposed)
死亡人数要比早先预想的多得多。
(2)Her services are more valuable than was supposed.
她的贡献比人们所想像的更宝贵。
There were many more people deaths than was first supposed.（来自权威朗文字典）
We supposed that there would be many people deaths more than we first supposed.
(than关系代词作从句谓语动词的supposed宾语）
=There were many more people than was first supposed.
(than关系代词作从句主语成分,因此从句不能再加任何主语）
W老师：
我个人比较倾向于蒋老师的分析！关于 than 后是否接 it 或 what 的问题，《英语用法指南》第三版（外研社翻译出版）的第141节有如下说明(以下为原文引用)：
than 往往用来代替主格代词、宾格代词或状语性词语，很像关系代词或关系副词：
She spent more money than was sensible. 她花钱更多的时候是花得莫名其妙。
(不能说：... than it was sensible.)
There were more people than we had expected. 人数比我们预计的要多。
(不能说：... than we had expected them.)
I love you more than she does. 我比她更爱你。
(不能说：... than how much she does.)
(在某些英国方言里，上述几个句子由 than what 构成）
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