Get it right, folks!

I need to address one of my pet peeves today. I am not a scholar, I did not do well in school and I am certainly not a grammarian. However, I did grow up in a home where spoken grammar was important. That being said, when I read many posts on FaceBook, I am appalled by the simple mistake that is made with regard to than & then. It seems to be a universal mistake, not just the "kids", but also many adults incorrectly interchange these words. I am not sure if this is a breakdown at the education level, or if people just don't care if they are communicating incorrectly.

If you are interested in learning the difference between than & then, then read on. If you want to continue to wallow in your ignorant state while the rest of us pass judgement on your character based on a simple grammatical error, then go back to your rousing game of Farmville....

I need to give credit where credit is due. The following is taken from http://www.grammarist.com, if you want to learn beyond this social conundrum, then follow that link and get learned.


Than vs. then

The difference between than and then is simple: Then usually relates to time, and than helps make comparisons. 

Then

Then is usually an adverb, but it sometimes functions as a noun or adjective. It’s used to describe (1) when something happened, (2) when something was something, or (3) a time when something happened. Here are examples of the three main senses of then:
[1] Lawmakers would then turn their attention to a financial regulatory overhaul, and then pick up where they left off on health care. [Star Tribune]
[2] The then President Olusegun Obasanjo gave him his full backing. [Punch]
[3] By then, he was increasingly viewed like a precocious child whose manner had soured from cute to insufferable. [Gazette Net]
Then is the correct word in if … then constructions—for example, If the book is good, then you should let me read it. This is the only sense in which then doesn’t necessarily relate to time. It’s synonymous with therefore.

Than

Than is a conjunction that assists in making comparisons—for example:
For Wizards, more questions than answers [Washington Post]
Getting excited about my wedding rather than my marriage was a red flag. [Psychology Today]

1 comment:

bmoorefree said...

Fantastic! I love that you shared this simple truth. I used to teach before disability took me away from my kids. If you'd take on the use of "there, their and they're" and maybe even not starting ANY sentence with the word "me", I have definitely got your back. Argh! And there's the last one..."your" and "you're"... If folks got these words sorted out they'd all sound like blinkin' geniuses in today's lazy culture.
You're awesome!
Bmoorefree in Milwaukee