Then vs Than

D

DocT

Joined
Mar 25, 2012
Messages
5,437
Hi folks,

I thought I would post something that might help someone writing on this forum: the difference between then and than.

Then refers to time and than refers to difference.
I like this steel better then that one. This is incorrect. It should read: I like this steel better THAN that one.

We used to buy Buck knives than switched to Spyderco knives. It should read: We used to buy Buck knives thEn switched to Spyderco knives.

This is a common mistake my students make. Remember, then is time, than is difference or other.
 
Also,

Your = possession
You're = a contraction of you and are

There are many others, like "should have" not "should of", the differences between their, there, and they're and so on and so forth.
 
I don't understand why people can't get this stuff straight. Back in gradeschool, this was hammered in to us in 3rd or 4th grade. Its/It's, your/you're, there/they're/their, affect/effect, etc. Everybody had to pass the test 100% before the entire class could move on to other things. Obviously, not every school did this, or does these days. I think they simply gave up.

[video=youtube;kVqMnbg4Ni0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVqMnbg4Ni0[/video]
[video=youtube;RGWiTvYZR_w]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGWiTvYZR_w[/video]
 
Planterz said:
I don't understand why people can't get this stuff straight. Back in gradeschool, this was hammered in to us in 3rd or 4th grade. Its/It's, your/you're, there/they're/their, affect/effect, etc. Everybody had to pass the test 100% before the entire class could move on to other things. Obviously, not every school did this, or does these days. I think they simply gave up.

[video=youtube;kVqMnbg4Ni0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVqMnbg4Ni0[/video]
[video=youtube;RGWiTvYZR_w]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGWiTvYZR_w[/video]
Click to expand...

Those are funny! What is hilarious about the second one is that he is in a BOOK STORE!
 
Don't forget to/too/two. As in: "I'm going to give two apples to James too."
 
Another one I see with increasing frequency here on the forums, is the unnecessary and incorrect usage of an apostrophe when none is needed, i.e. "Spyderco's" for sale. These knives aren't possessing anything, so the apostrophe is superfluous.
 
I always have to think about principal v. principle. Generally, I use the princiPAL is a person, but that doesn't always work (i.e. principal of a loan note)
 
There's lots of funny ones on the internet, but I don't know if its just autocorrect or idiocy

"the point is mute"

"for all intensive purposes"
 
Languages constantly change and evolve as they grow. These are nothing more than the growing pains of english.
 
Hey, bull4242, I remember getting those wings. Airborne!

Also, people do not seem to know what the word 'ridiculous' means (deserving or inviting derision or mockery; absurd). They might say, "That Spyderco is ridiculous!" meaning it is something great, but they are actually saying that the Spyderco is so bad as to deserve mocking.
 
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I'm one to see things like this as well. But I won't comment because it's not worth it, plus, you never know if they might have used a smart phone/tablet to enter and fingers can get twitchy.

One of the things I see is the use of the words Advice, some people use the word Advise in it's place, such as;

I would like some advise about this particular knife.

I see that and it does bug me, but, I'm easily bugged ;)

G2
 
Hah! You should see how I got flamed like 10 years ago for elitism for pointing out it's "dual" not "duel" thumbstuds. ;) At least that seems to have stopped.
 
Shann said:
There's lots of funny ones on the internet, but I don't know if its just autocorrect or idiocy

"the point is mute"

"for all intensive purposes"
Click to expand...
I think it's phonetics. If I say " the point is moot" it could easily sound like mute. Same with the latter. "For all intents and purposes" could be misconstrued as "for all intensive purposes". This could also be the case with all the similar sounding yet different meaning words within our language. To, too, and two. Where, ware, and wear. As well as everything else previously mentioned in this thread. If people read a bit more then this phenomenon might not be as common. Shorthand texting and all this hashtag crap does not help the English language either.

mybe r specee's is getn' stupidr.!^?
 
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