infinitive vs. gerund after "rather than"

[Torsten]

Hi,

Is the use of the infinitive or gerund arbitrary after "rather than"? For example, I came across this sentence:

How should I go about 'convincing' a company to purchase from me rather than go direct?

Could this also read: ... rather than going direct?

Thanks a lot,
Torsten
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Test Of English for International Communication
TOEIC Preparation & TOEIC Vocabulary

[Alan]

Hi Torsten,

The purist in me wants the pair to be balanced -'to purchase' and '(to) go direct'.

Alan
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English as a Second Language
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[Yankee]

[Torsten]

Hi Amy and Alan,

Thanks a lot for your explanations which both make perfect sense.
_________________
Test Of English for International Communication
TOEIC Preparation & TOEIC Vocabulary