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This article was co-written by Christopher Taylor, PhD. Christopher Taylor is an assistant professor of English at Austin Community College in Texas. He received his PhD in English Literature and Medieval Studies from the University of Texas at Austin in 2014.
There are 7 references cited in this article that you can view at the bottom of the page.
This article has been viewed 43,238 times.
People often misuse the words than and then . This error is quite common, partly because the two words are pronounced the same, and in some cases you simply cannot tell the difference between the two words. However, it is important to know in which situations which words to use. As a general rule, than means comparison, then indicates time. Practice using and pronouncing these two words, and then ( then ) you will use them better than ( than ) anyone!
Steps
Identify “then” use cases
- For example, if your teacher asked where you were at lunch yesterday, you might answer, “I was at lunch then .”
- If someone asks when something will be done, you can tell them, “Come back tomorrow afternoon. I will have everything ready by then .” (Come back tomorrow afternoon. I’ll finish everything then ).
- We are going to leave at 9, and then we stop for lunch around 11. (We will depart at 9 o’clock, then stop for lunch around 11 o’clock).
- First, you line up part A and part B. Then , you screw them together. (First, line up parts A and B, then fasten the two parts together.)
- The inner planets go Mercury, Venus, Earth, and then Mars. (The planets are Mercury, Venus, Earth, and then Mars.)
- If you want additional information, you can say, “The dinner costs $20, and then you have to add the tip.” (The cost of dinner is 400 thousand, plus you have to add a tip.)
- To describe conditions, you could say, “If the weather is good, then we will go to the beach tomorrow.” (If the weather is nice , we will go to the beach tomorrow.)
- For example, “That program was instituted in 2010 by then President Barack Obama.” (The program was created in 2010 by then -President Barack Obama.)
- However, this usage doesn’t just refer to people. You can also say things like, “The historian wrote about the then state prospered of Rome.” (Historians write about the brilliant development of Rome at that time .)
Identify use cases of “coal”
- There are more onions than scallions in your fridge. (There are more onions in your fridge than spring onions.)
- I can run faster now than I could last year. (I run faster now than last year.)
- I like cloudy weather more than I like the sun. (I prefer shady weather to sunny weather.)
- For example, if it feels like your alarm clock goes off as soon as you fall asleep, you could say, “No sooner did I lay my head down than my clock started to ring.” (I had just laid back on the bed before the clock rang.)
- This usage sometimes sounds like then and can be confusing. The difference is that then is used when there is a continuation, but than does not express continuity in this case. It only shows the connection between two things – lying on the bed and the alarm going off.
- For example, people do not say “Jessica arrived later Joe.” (Jessica came later, Joe.) Even though you’re talking about time, you’re still comparing who is later than whom in this context. That is why the correct sentence should be, “Jessica arrived later than Joe.” (Jessica arrived later than Joe.)
- However, it still makes sense for you to say, “First and need to shower and next I have to catch the bus.” (I have to shower first, then I have to catch the bus). In this context, “next” can be substituted for then .
Practice using Then and Than
- If I write the word “next” instead of the word “then”, will the sentence still make sense?
- “I will go to the store next ” is a meaningful sentence, so we can say “I will go to the store then .”
- If I write the phrase “in comparison to” instead of “than”, will the sentence still make sense?
- “A used car costs less in comparison to a new car” is a meaningful sentence, then you could say “It costs less than a new car.”
- You should also pay attention to how to use then and than in everyday writing. Spend a few minutes reading and editing essays, school assignments, and documents to check their correct usage.
- You can also find then and coal quizzes and exercises online to check. [10] X Research Source
- Speak the word coal with your mouth wide open and your tongue pressed down against your teeth. Vowels come from the back of the mouth and the throat is slightly constricted.
- Speak then with your mouth slightly open. Vowels emanating from the throat relax and the tongue to normal.
Advice
- The easiest way to remember this is: the word “then” is the equivalent of the word “when,” and both have the letter “e.”
- Pay attention to the grammar check. If your word processor underlines or highlights the word “then” or “than,” you probably picked the wrong word. Read the sentence again to be sure.
- People often misuse the word then rather than the word than. Errors using the word coal look odd or completely wrong; while then errors seem more acceptable. Pay special attention to the word then and its usage.
- Another mnemonic: the words “then” and “time” both have an “e” but no “a,” and the words “than” and “comparison” both have an “a” without the “a” e.”
This article was co-written by Christopher Taylor, PhD. Christopher Taylor is an assistant professor of English at Austin Community College in Texas. He received his PhD in English Literature and Medieval Studies from the University of Texas at Austin in 2014.
There are 7 references cited in this article that you can see at the bottom of the page.
This article has been viewed 43,238 times.
People often misuse the words than and then . This error is quite common, partly because the two words are pronounced the same, and in some cases you simply cannot tell the difference between the two words. However, it is important to know in which situations which words to use. As a general rule, than means comparison, then indicates time. Practice using and pronouncing these two words, and then ( then ) you will use them better than ( than ) anyone!
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