In the above example using rather then or than, the two sentences communicate different meanings. The word ‘then’ denotes time and is used in the sense of both past tense and the future tense. Than is used for comparisons. what happens next. In this sentence Jack is acting as an object of shocked, whereas in the first sentence he was the subject. Under this parsing the sentence is an elliptical form of . For over 300 years, grammarians have insisted that than be regarded as a conjunction, as opposed to a preposition, in all of its uses. Than is used to form comparisons between two things. Difference Between Foreclosure and Short Sale, Difference Between Privatization and Disinvestment, Difference Between Culture and Civilization, Difference Between Micro and Macro Economics, Difference Between Developed Countries and Developing Countries, Difference Between Management and Administration, Difference Between Qualitative and Quantitative Research, Difference Between Hard Skills and Soft Skills, Difference Between Internal Check and Internal Audit, Difference Between Measurement and Evaluation, Difference Between Percentage and Percentile, Difference Between Journalism and Mass Communication, Difference Between Internationalization and Globalization, Difference Between Sale and Hire Purchase, Difference Between Complaint and Grievance. The word then denotes time and is used in the sense of both past tense and the future tense. Then is an action word, which is an expression of time, i.e. ), I would prefer to eat sooner rather than later. • Then indicates time. browse the examples fastidiously to grasp. There are a few popular phrases that use than that people aren’t sure whether to use then or than. Then vs Than. The key difference between then and than is that then is an adverb whereas than is a preposition as well as a conjunction. Judgment or Judgement: What’s the Difference? Than is commonly used as a preposition or conjunction, whereas then is mainly used as an adverb or adjective. As you can see, most of the uses of then have to do with time. http://www.engvid.com/ She is taller THEN you or she is taller THAN you? The bill was signed by then President Ronald Reagan. Than is used for comparing two elements or representing contrast or exception whereas then is mainly used in relation to time, to show when something has happened, or the sequence in which events took place. The decision was made by then chairman Bill Gates. Unlike then, than is not related to time. Anytime you use than, you should be able to substitute the words “compared with” or “in comparison to.” If it doesn’t work, you probably meant to say “then.” I’m shorter than everyone in my family. Than is used to make comparisons. These two words are very close in their appearance, but than vs. then have very different uses. English is difficult to learn and easily misunderstood due to different types of homophones, homonyms, and unpredictable spellings. How do you use then? Next in time, space, or order; immediately afterward. Then indicates time or consequence, as in the following examples: Bagels were cheaper back then. The main difference between then and than is that than is a conjunction whereas then is an adverb. It went dark, then there was a scream. Although the two words than and then sound and look alike, they have vastly different meanings and functions. Than est utilisé pour comparer deux éléments ou représenter un contraste ou une exception, alors qu'il est principalement utilisé dans le temps, pour montrer quand quelque chose s'est passé ou la séquence dans laquelle les événements ont eu lieu. I get this question from a lot of readers. When it comes to intelligence, Akshada is a step ahead, Shreya deposited the cash to the hospital and. On the other hand, then is an adverb that expresses actions in time. Fewer than If one is referring to a quantity which is countable, then “fewer than” is used. ; Quick and Dirty Tip: Both "than" and "comparison" have the letter "a" in them, and "then" and "time" both have the letter "e.". I poured a glass of juice and then sat down to eat. It can mean next in time or at the time. Than is a preposition as well as a conjunction. In informal writing and speech, sentences like he is smaller than her are widely used and almost universally accepted. For a more detailed explanation, see the definitions below. The difference between then and than is explained in this article. It is most commonly used as an adverb. Back then I danced all the time! Home » Then vs. Than: What’s the Difference? We filled up the car and then began the trip. This means that sentences such as Jack is taller than Jill should be construed as an elliptical version of the sentence Jack is taller than Jill is. Distinguishing the two words may be difficult because they are only a single letter apart and sound really similar. The main difference to remember is that then refers to time and “than” refers to the comparison. adverb that is used to communicate the time at which events occur 'Detective McNulty makes a mess, and then he has to clean it up.'. Both these words are totally different and possess different meanings. The word “then” is used as either an adverb or an adjective. Today, I want to discuss the differences between then vs. than, their functions in a sentence, and give you a few tricks to remember them for the future. However, the words then and than have very different meanings and uses in language.Then is used in several different ways relating to the element of time. Wellbeing or Well-Being – Which is Correct? They are a set of homophones. The word ‘than’ is used in comparison. The difference between "then" and "than" is fairly simple, but many people, including experienced English speakers, have difficulty with these two words. "Than" conveys a comparison. Then is commonly used to express a sense of time or what comes next or used to be. La différence entre than et then est abordée dans l'article de manière détaillée. And it's the word that follows other, rather, less, and more. Than (rhymes with Jan) is used to make comparisons and only to make comparisons. Privacy. Than is used to form comparisons between two things. The position of ‘then’ is either at the beginning or at the end of the sentence. Choosing Then or Than can be difficult since they are only a single letter apart and they sound pretty close to each other. First I’ll drink my orange juice, then eat my bagel. In “th a n” and “comp a rison”, letter ‘a’ is common and in “th e n” and “tim e ” letter ‘e’ is common. The difference is that then would be used if there was a sequence, but than is not describing a sequence in this instance. You’ll also use then in if … then constructions. Most simply, it claims that X, and not Y, has more A-ness than something else—call it Z. Difference Between Then and Than • Categorized under Grammar,Language | Difference Between Then and Than. Than is a conjunction that is used for making comparisons between elements, objects, people, etc. ; Movies were a lot cheaper back then. The main difference between less than and fewer than is in the quantity which is being referred to. On the opposite hand, the word ‘then’ is employed either to indicate a sequence of events or a way of your time. A good trick to keep track of these words is that then is usually used to indicate time. Than is used for comparison purpose while then is used with reference to time. Both than and comparison have a letter “A” in them. More than less than; less than more than. Difference Between Then and Than English is confusing because it is not easy to learn, even it is the most widely used language. Let us look at the differences between than and then further in this article. If Priya doesn’t come by tomorrow morning. First you need a license, and then you can drive. Rather than means instead of or and not or in preference to, and Sentence 2 may be parsed a couple of different ways. No matter what you are comparing, whether it be time, money, speed, if a comparison is taking place, than is the correct word choice. THEN Definition and Examples. So, the second sentence isn’t necessarily wrong in all meanings, it’s just wrong when your intended meaning is a comparison, not an ordered list of events. X, rather than Y, is A-er [than Z]. Than is the word to choose in phrases like smaller than, smoother than, and further than. Try to remember that then is always used for giving the sequence or order of things like first then second then third then the others. (Less then or less than? Glamor or Glamour – What’s the Difference? Choosing between then or than can be difficult since they are only a single letter apart and they sound pretty close to each other, but if you’re not sure which word to use and when, don’t worry. THEN or THAN – When to Use Then and Than. Summary. Keep this in mind for later when I give you the trick to remember. In spite of this difference, than and then are also two of the most confusing words in English. What is the Difference Between Then and Than. We’ve spent so much time talking about than that we almost forgot about the word then, so now it’s the time to come full circle on using then and than. My daughter scored better percentage in class 12th than her friend. Than is used in comparisons (e.g., She was smarter than him.) Than and then are often mixed up in English, partly because they have similar spelling and sound alike. In all of these examples, than is used to introduce a comparison between two things. (Correct), I would prefer to eat sooner rather then later. Let’s look at the differences between then and than: Than is a conjunction used to make comparisons between elements, objects and people etc. And you’re confusing then and than. T-h-e-n is an adverb used to divide and measure time. These two words are very close in their appearance, but than vs. then have very different uses. This is certainly one instance of that and what’s more, this is an instance where the consequences matter. In this sentence, the name Jill is standing in for the full clause Jill is. Then is the word which is used mostly for the time and sense of what will comes next, Whereas Than is used commonly for the comparison purpose between various things. The word ‘than’ is used when there is some kind of comparison between two subjects. Conversely, than is positioned at the middle of the sentence, that links two elements of comparison. Below are a few examples of its many meanings and uses. English has a lot of confusing words, especially those words that look alike and sound alike. You should have told me the decision then. For example, you can say, life was beautiful then because neither of us had any responsibilities but it’s tough now as we are married. In other words, the pronoun that follows than is determined by whether it serves as the subject or object of the verb “understood.”. Then The word then usually relates to time. Than is a conjunction used most often in comparisons between two things.. A giant is taller than a dwarf. THEN vs THAN. Then can function as an adjective, adverb, or noun. Go to the traffic lights, then turn right. Then vs Than Then is an adverb that is used to refer to a particular time in the past or the future. It’s probably best to hold to this traditional rule if you are writing an academic paper for school or a book for publishing, but understand that it can lead to some cumbersome, outdated sounding language. The first sentence says you prefer (right now at least) eating to sleeping. The Difference Between "Then" and "Than" "Then" and "than" are often confused in the English language. For example, Come to this lane if you want to check out fewer than 10 items. Then is used to describe time or a logical consequence. DVDs are more expensive than videocassettes. Then et than ont une orthographe et une prononciation voisines mais ils ne signifient pas la même chose Then est une expression de temps Than est utilisé uniquement pour faire des comparaisons First I went to the park then I went to the supermarket We ate and then we went to the movies. It is showing correlation or relationship between 2 things, such as laying down your head and your alarm clock going off. Then relates to time (e.g., I was young then.) It is most commonly used as an adverb and, in some specific cases, as an adjective and noun. Not to be confused with t-h-a-n, which is most commonly used after a comparative adjective or adverb, as in: 'Rhonda is smarter than Jimmy. Similarly, fewer buses, fewer homes. But it does allow for sentences like this one, The report shocked Jack more than me, since this sentence is understood to be The report shocked Jack more than it shocked me. What is the Difference Between Than and Then? This is important to keep in mind. Than and Then The words then and than look similar, but their uses are very different. The difference between than and then is discussed in the article in a detailed manner. Your email address will not be published. Difference between then and than: A few English words are popularly mistaken for each other and ‘then’ and ‘than’ seem to be on that list. Organic produce is more expensive than regular produce. If there is heavy traffic, then I might be late. Then and than are homophones that sound alike but have different meanings. A conjunction is a word that connects two clauses or coordinate words in the same clause. Summary: Difference Between Then and Than is that The word ‘than’ is employed to indicate comparison and could be a conjunction(A conjunction could be a word that joins 2 sentences). The second says you prefer to eat first and sleep second. If the sentence is about a time chain or a reference to an order of events it's going to use then. 2a. The word than is used in a comparison. Both than and comparison have a letter “A” in them. Than is used in comparative statements. The two words I want to talk about today are no exception. When to use THAN Both then and time have a letter “E” in them. Than is much known for being used in the comparative form. The word 'than' is used in comparative sentences, to make compare two entities. While they sound and look alike, the two words have two very different meanings. (Wrong). What is the Difference Between Then and Than? While than introduces the second element in a comparison, then adds another part in a sentence. All four of these uses are uses of then as an adverb. The way to keep the pair straight is to focus on this basic difference: than is used when you're talking about comparisons; then is used when you're talking about something relating to time. This page has example sentences to explain the difference between then and than. Come over this afternoon; I’ll be ready then. Just one tiny letter can sometimes make all the difference in the English language. It can be tough to see the difference between these two words. We saw a movie and then went out for dinner. The use of then as an adjective is much more limited. ; Aardvark is taller than Squiggly. If the weather is bad, then my flight will get canceled. After reading this post, you shouldn’t have any trouble when choosing than or then. For ease to remember the key difference between then and than, look at the following sentence. Then has a number of different functions, but it is most commonly used as either an adverb or an adjective. In the following phrases, than should be used. Then is usually an adverb, but it can also be an adjective or a noun.The most common definition for then is at that time.. I’m not a dancer now, but I was when I was younger. Then is commonly used to express a sense of time or what comes next or used to be. 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