Usage of "Rather than"

English as a Second Language English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
1

Hi everybody,

  1. Why didn’t you ask for help, rather than trying to do it on your own?
    1a. Why didn’t you ask for help, rather than try to do it on your own?
  2. Rather than waiting outside, he decided to wait in the house.
    2a. Rather than wait outside, he decided to wait in the house.
    Please confirm which sentences are grammatically correct.
    Thanks.
    Er.S.M.M.Hanifa
2

1a and 2a, although all are clearly understandable, and acceptable.

Kitos.

3

From your answer, I am driving conclusion as follows:

  1. After ‘rather’, bare infinitive verb follows.
  2. If it is ‘rather than’ instead of ‘rather’,
    one can use either bare infinitive or gerund.
    Am I not correct?
    Thanks,
    Er.S.M.M.Hanifa
4

Both sides of the sentence should use the same tense.