The English Oracle

When should you use "then" and when "than"?

--------------------------------------------------
Hire the world's top talent on demand or became one of them at Toptal: https://topt.al/25cXVn
--------------------------------------------------

Music by Eric Matyas
https://www.soundimage.org
Track title: Puzzle Game 2

--

Chapters
00:00 When Should You Use &Quot;Then&Quot; And When &Quot;Than&Quot;?
00:43 Answer 1 Score 4
00:58 Accepted Answer Score 8
02:10 Answer 3 Score 0
02:45 Thank you

--

Full question
https://english.stackexchange.com/questi...

--

Content licensed under CC BY-SA
https://meta.stackexchange.com/help/lice...

--

Tags
#wordchoice #orthography #adverbs #conjunctions #comparisons

#avk47



ACCEPTED ANSWER

Score 8


Because I'm older than she, I should be the first chosen.

I loved her and then she died.

If it rains, then it pours.

I've had more than enough.

Would you rather be a mouse than a rat?

Who, other than you, likes the color red?

When there is a comparison, you use than; then means:

  1. at that time; at the time in question: I was living in Cairo then | [after preposition] Phoebe by then was exhausted | [as adjective] a hotel where the then prime minister, Margaret Thatcher, was staying.
  2. after that; next; afterward: she won the first and then the second game.
    • also; in addition: I'm paid a generous salary, and then there's the money I've made at the races.
  3. in that case; therefore: if you do what I tell you, then there's nothing to worry about | well, that's okay then.
    • used at the end of a sentence to emphasize an inference being drawn: so you're still here, then.
    • used to finish off a conversation: see you in an hour, then.

(See also the definition of then given in the Oxford Living Dictionaries.)




ANSWER 2

Score 4


Two corrections:

  • I’ve had more than enough.
  • Would you rather be a mouse than a rat?

Both “rather . . . than . . .” and “more than” are fixed expressions.




ANSWER 3

Score 0


Then is time related, like you said. It divides two (or more) occurrences. Example below.

Jack went to the shop, then he went to his grandmother.

Than is a word we use when comparing something. If something is more or less than something else. Examples below.

Jack is stronger than Cole.

.

Cole is weaker than Jack.

Also, then is always preceded by a comma or an "and" (unless you're speaking about the word itself). Than is never preceded by a comma.

Hope I was clear enough.