The word ‘than’ is more than a preposition

NAIROBI: What the Bible or the Koran is to a preacher is what a dictionary is to a writer or a public speaker: they are indispensable implements. Since memories fade, one is forced to have something to fall on for verification when writing or preparing a speech. This is partly why these tools are important. Even when one trusts what one is to say or write, checking again and again to make sure errors are reduced, if not eradicated, is absolutely necessary. For failure to verify can be costly: It can erode trust. And as somebody said, trust is like virginity, once it is lost, it is lost forever.

It’s beyond understanding why therefore Philip Ochieng failed to consult a dictionary when he claimed that the word ‘than’ is not a preposition; yet he is wont to mention what his Collins Dictionary says about this and that word. He laments the number of times he has defined the word “preposition”, arguing that from the meaning of this class of words “than” cannot therefore fall under the category of prepositions, but conjunctions.