13 October 2011

Only two letters make the difference between then and than. Perhaps the reason why people frequently confuse them is that they sound almost the same. To see what I mean read this sentence out loud: I’d rather have chocolate than anything else.

 

But there are bigger differences between these words than just two little vowels. Let’s take a closer look.

The correct use of then

Most of the time, we use the adverb then to indicate time. There are several different meanings.

·  To mean ‘at that time’ – Life was simpler then.

·  To mean ‘immediately or soon afterward’ – The rain stopped and then started again.

·  To mean ‘next in order of time’ – Please complete the form and then return it to us.

·  To mean ‘at the same time’ – The sky was completely clear, but then it suddenly went dark.

Then can also be used to indicate ‘next in order of place’ – The first person in line is our manager, then his personal assistant, and then his secretary.

Memory Tip:  Since then is most often used to indicate time – think of the question word when (also spelled with an ‘e’).

The correct use of than

The conjunction than can also be used in several ways.

·  To introduce the second item/person of an unequal comparison.

      Mark is taller than his elder brother, Jim.

      That project took longer than we expected it would.

·  To introduce a rejected choice when you’re talking about preferences. For example, I’d rather take a taxi than walk.

·  To mean ‘except’ or ‘other than’. For example, We had no choice than to take the deal.