grammar question

[chicago]

"I chose to spend the next year working full-time rather than immediately return to school."

Is this sentence gramatically correct? (should there be a hyphen in full time, and should I use "return" instead of "returning?"

[pepem]

I chose to spend the next year working full-time rather than (immediately returning to school/returning to school immediately).

-or-

Rather than returning to school immediately, I chose to spend the next year working full-time.

[chicago]

thanks hoya lawya.... essay edge corrected my sentence from "returning" to "return"... but returning sounded correct to me.

Anyone else?

[desmo]

I'd go with:

Rather than returning to school, I chose to spend the next year working full-time.

[shadowcreeper]

Whatever way you decide on the sentence, if you keep the same tense, it would definitely be returning not return. The person who corrected it must have made a mistake.

[chicago]

After thinking about this, I think my editor was right.

"After returning from Africa near the end of 2000, I chose to spend the next year working full-time rather than immediately return to school."

If I just wrote "I chose to immediately returning to school," it obviously would be wrong.  I think that's why it's return on not returning......?

[shadowcreeper]

Yes, you needed to give us the entire sentence. The person who edited your paper was correct with return in the complete sentence that you just listed, however in the partial sentence that you gave us when you originally posted, returning would be correct.

I think you need to pick a sentence first, then decide whether return or returning makes sense in that specific sentence.

[chicago]

excellent, thanks for the help!

[TDPookie1]

I disagree with shadowcreeper.  The part before the comma does not affect the grammar of the rest of your sentence.  I think it should still be returning.  I also think you should PM Lexy to come to this thread and clear it up for you.

[newy]

After thinking about this, I think my editor was right.

"After returning from Africa near the end of 2000, I chose to spend the next year working full-time rather than immediately return to school."

If I just wrote "I chose to immediately returning to school," it obviously would be wrong.  I think that's why it's return on not returning......?

I would also consider axing one of the returns (2 is too many for one sentence).

How about:
"After returning from Africa near the end of 2000, I chose to spend the next year working full-time instead of immediately resuming my studies."