The words " then " and " than " have two completely different habit in English , but it can be backbreaking to know which word to use when . They ’re both very common , and they only take issue by one alphabetic character . English speakersoften say the word really quickly , so it can vocalize more like " thn " instead of either " then " or " than . "
All of which means that when it comes fourth dimension to write a sentence and you need one of these word , it can be tough to eff which one to use . To get start , let ’s search at theirparts of speech communication .
Thenis used most often as an adverb , which imply it describes a verb or an adjective . One of the thing adverbs do is recount you when something happened , which is exactly what " then " does . It render time - based order to issue . " Then " can sometimes be used as a noun or as an adjective itself .
Thanis used most often as a conjunction , which means it connect two clauses within one sentence . It ’s always used to make a equivalence between two or more thing and can sometimes be used as preposition .
In short , " then " is associated with sentence , and " than " is associated with comparisons .
When to Use “Then”
Still confused ? It ’s easier to see how to use each of these with a few instance .
Casey exit body of work too soon on a warm day . He then went to the store for a ice lolly . “Then " is an adverb modifying " go " in this sentence and giving the reader the orderliness of events . It ’s telling the reader that after Casey leave behind his occupation , he went to the memory board .
Your birthday is in a week . You ’ll have to wait until then to open your giving . This is an model where " then " is used as a noun after the preposition " until , " but it still serves its purpose in ordering outcome . You ca n’t open your presents now or tomorrow . You have to wait until one week from now — which is then — to open up them .
Last year , Sarah ’s then - fellow Adam took her to Seattle on holiday . Here we have " then " used as an adjective . You ’ll often see it this manner , with the hyphen before the noun it change . Again , it ’s telling the reader about time : Adam was Sarah ’s swain at the meter , but he is n’t anymore .
How to Use “Than”
Laura is a profligate swimmer than I am . “Than " is a conjunction here , connecting two independent clause : " Laura is a immobile swimmer " and " I am . " It ’s also showing the reader the comparison between Laura ’s swimming swiftness and mine .
Rick is quondam than Jeremiah . Here , " than " is a preposition , with " Jeremiah " as its aim . But it ’s still doing the line of work of usher comparison , this time between how one-time Rick is and how old Jeremiah is .
There are plenty of mutual phrasal idiom that apply these word . call up : When you ’re talking about clock time , use " then . " " Just then , " " back then , " " since then , " " now and then , " and " until then " are all examples of when you would use " then . "
When you ’re equate thing , phrase with " than " will work : " smaller than , " " older than , " " bigger than , " " rather than , " and many more .
There are a few timeswhen you do use " than " in a prison term - related manner — for representative , when something happens at once after something else . Here ’s an exercise : No sooner had I end the call than I think I had something else to tell her . But this use is quite rare .
