There is a marked difference between then and than. The key difference between then and than is that then is an adverb whereas than is a preposition as well as a conjunction.
The word then denotes time and is used in the sense of both past tense and the future tense. The word than is used in a comparison. The difference between then and than is explained in this article.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What Does Then Mean
3. What Does Than Mean
4. Side by Side Comparison – Then and Than in Tabular Form
5. Summary
What Does Then Mean?
Before delving into the difference between then and than, first of all, let us have a look at the definition given to each of these terms, then and than, by the Oxford English dictionary. The adverb then means “at that time; at the times in question.”
You normally compare two objects in the figure of speech called Simile. A simile is a figure of speech where there is a wealth of similarity between two objects.
For example, you compare two things, namely, a good person and a mountain and say,
- Good people are lofty like mountains but softer than mountains.
In this figure of speech, you compared a good person to a mountain. At the same time, you observed that he was not hard like the mountain. He is softer than the mountain. Hence, the word ‘than’ is used in the second part of the comparison.
The word than is used in the sense of difference in comparison.
- She likes sweets more than nuts.
What Does Than Mean?
The conjunction than, which is as well as a preposition has the description “introducing the second element in a comparison” as its definition in the Oxford English dictionary.
The word then is generally used to express the idea that one thing took place after another. For example,
- No sooner I entered the house then the telephone started ringing.
Because of the use of then in this sentence, it is clear to us that this telephone started to ring after the narrator entered the house.
The word then at times adds information to an expression. Look at the following sentence.
- He went to the office as usual at 10 a.m. Then the trouble started.
When we read the above two sentences, we understand that the second sentence, which begins with then, has added some information to the idea given by the first sentence.
It is important to note that the word then is often used in the sense of reiteration. For example,
- These problems that I enlisted, then, are the reasons for my bad health.
The word then is also used to convey the sense of a consequence. Look at the sentence mentioned below.
- If I miss the bus today, then I would catch the train to reach my office in time.
The word then, on the contrary to than, is used to indicate the next thing in the series of happenings or actions.
- He ate two loaves of bread and then drank a glass of milk.
The use of then in this sentence shows that this person ate bread first and after that drank a glass of milk.
Then vs Than |
|
| Then indicates something ‘at that time; at the time in question or something after that; next’ | Than indicates ‘the second element in a comparison or an exception or contrast’ |
| Grammatical Category | |
| Then is an adverb | Than is a preposition as well as a conjunction |
| Usage | |
| The word then is used to add information to an expression, is often used in the sense of reiteration, to convey the sense of a consequence and sequence of something. | The word than is used in the sense of the difference in comparison. |
Summary – Then vs Than
The two words then and than have a clear difference in their grammatical category and their usage. The difference between then and than is that then is an adverb while than can be both a preposition as well as a conjunction. The correct usage of these two words is an essential fact in English grammar practice.
Правила образования степеней сравнения прилагательных в английском языке мы уже разобрали вот в этой статье. Если вы не читали, то обязательно загляните. Теперь поговорим о том, где на практике нам пригодится эта информация про сравнение в английском, как правильно сравнивать и какие бывают сравнительные конструкции. Погнали!
Сравнительные конструкции в английском
Чтобы свободно использовать сравнение в английском языке, необходимо выучить некоторые сравнительные обороты. Их не так уж много, да и они довольно не сложные.
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Моя машина такая же большая, как и твоя: as..as..
Когда мы хотим сказать что два предмета имеют равное качество, мы используем сравнительный оборот AS…AS… — такой же… как, и… В этом случае мы употребляем прилагательное в положительной степени, то есть в его обычной основной форме:
My car is as big as yours.- Моя машина такая же большая, как и твоя.
-
Моя машина не такая большая как твоя: not as..as../not so..as
При отрицании равенства качеств двух предметов используется тот же оборот, только с частицей not: NOT AS…AS …. (не так …, как …) или NOT SO… AS… (не такой…, как… ). Прилагательное также употребляется в положительной степени:
My car is not as big as yours. — Моя машина не такая большая как твоя.
My car is not so expensive as yours. – Моя машина не такая дорогая как твоя.
-
Моя машина больше чем твоя: than
При сравнении двух предметов неравного качества употребляется союз THAN (чем) с прилагательным в сравнительной степени:
My car is bigger than yours. – Моя машина больше чем твоя.
Это самая употребляемая сравнительная конструкция. Для усиления сравнения можно добавлять следующие слова:
- much — намного
- far — гораздо
- by far — безусловно
- a lot — значительно
- a little — немного
- even — даже
- still — ещё
My car is much bigger than yours! – Моя машина намного больше твоей!
Your car is a little faster than mine. – Твоя машина немного быстрее моей.
Bob’s car is a lot more comfortable for this trip. – Машина Боба значительно более удобна для этой поездки.
But this car is even more comfortable – Но эта машина даже еще более удобна.
-
Чем больше машина, тем лучше: the..the
Если мы хотим сказать о взаимосвязи какого-то качества с другим качеством, то используем оборот THE…THE… (чем …, тем … ) и прилагательные в сравнительной степени. Глаголы в разговорном варианте могут опускаться:
The bigger the car the better. — Чем больше машина, тем лучше.
The bigger your car is the safer it is. — Чем больше у тебя машина, тем она безопаснее.
-
Моя машина в два раза больше твоей: twice as..as..
Чтобы уточнить степень неравенства, можно использовать конструкции TWICE AS…AS…- (в два раза..чем…) , THREE TIMES…AS…AS— (в три раза…чем) и так далее. Только прилагательные здесь не в сравнительной степени, а в положительной:
My car is twice as big as yours. – Моя машина в два раза больше твоей.
В выражениях «в два раза..» вместо twiсe может использоваться слово half (в половину) в конструкциях half as much/many, half the … as/of …:
My car is half the size as yours. – Моя машина вполовину меньше чем твоя.
My car is half the price of that one.- Моя машина вполовину дешевле той (в два раза).
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Это самая быстрая машина в нашем городе!
И не забываем о превосходной степени. Она употребляется когда мы выделяем какой-то один, самый-самый объект из множества. Обычно с превосходной степенью употребляются предлоги in, of или придаточные предложения:
This is the fastest car in our city! – Это самая быстрая машина в нашем городе!
This is the biggest car of all my cars. – Это самая большая машина из всех моих машин.
This is the most comfortable car that I have ever had. – Это самая удобная машина из всех, что у меня были.
Вот и все на тему Сравнение в английском языке. Сравнивайте на здоровье, выполняйте упражнение и пишите в комментариях и делитесь, если вам понравилась статья!
Упражнение на степени сравнения прилагательных и сравнительные конструкции
Переведите предложения на английский и проверьте себя по ответам ниже:
- Мой сын выше твоего.
- Эти апельсины дешевле чем те.
- Это самый интересный фильм из всех, что я видел!
- Мой дом не такой большой как твой.
- Она вдвое моложе меня.
- Это упражнение легче, чем я ожидал.
- Это красное платье выглядит намного лучше на тебе, чем голубое.
- Эти ботинки удобнее, чем мои старые ботинки.
- Чем скорее, тем лучше.
- Эта сумка в три раза дороже, чем та.
Ответы:
- My son is taller than yours.
- These oranges are cheaper than those.
- This is the most interesting movie that I have ever seen!
- My house is not so big as yours.
- She is half my age.
- This exercise is easier than I expected.
- This red dress looks much better on you than the blue one.
- These shoes are more comfortable than my old shoes.
- The sooner the better.
- This bag is three times as expensive as that one.
Другие статьи по теме:
Степени сравнения прилагательных в английском языке. Часть1: образование сравнительной и превосходной степени
Прилагательные в английском языке и их виды
Прилагательные на –ing и –ed в английском языке. В чем разница?
Порядок прилагательных в английском языке
Степени сравнения наречий в английском языке
Comparisons indicate degrees of difference with adjectives and adverbs. Comparatives are the words that indicate a comparison between two entities. Some comparatives constitute different structures from others.
Comparatives in Different Structures:
Single Word Comparatives:
The adjectives and adverbs that do not require the word ‘more’ or ‘less’ before them and add ‘er’ or ‘ier’ with them are the single word comparatives.
Structure:
Subject + verb + adjective/adverb+(er) + than + noun/pronoun + verb (hidden)
Examples:
— Alex is taller than Max.
— Today is hotter than yesterday.
— He has a brighter skin than she has.
Double Word Comparatives:
The adjectives and adverbs that are of more than two syllables need an extra ‘more’ or ‘less’ before them to become comparatives.
Structure:
Subject + verb + more/less + adjective/adverb + than + noun/pronoun + verb (hidden)
Examples:
— She is more beautiful than Tina.
— He is less handsome than Alex.
— I am more tired than you.
Note: Comparatives always compare two entities based on a certain feature of those entities. They always compare similar entities.
Examples:
Incorrect: His watch is cheaper than his employee. (There cannot be any comparison between a thing and a person. It must be between two things or two persons.)
Correct: His watch is cheaper than his employee’s watch.
Incorrect: My salary is lower than Alex. (This comparison is illogical.)
Correct: My salary is lower than Alex’s salary.
Incorrect: The duties of a mother are harder than a father.
Correct: The duties of a mother are harder than that of a father.
Multiple Number Comparatives:
When something is compared with another thing according to their numbers, the sentence follows a different structure. Multiple number comparatives include half, twice, three times, four times, etc.
Structure:
Subject + verb + number + as + much/many + (noun) + as + noun/pronoun + verb
Examples:
— John has half as many wickets as Watson has.
— Robert works twice as much as Alex does.
— I have three times as many runs as he has.
Double Comparatives:
There is a unique structure of English sentence which starts with a comparative and takes another comparative to complete it. This type of sentence structure is unusual as it is generally used with proverbs.
Structure:
The + comparative 1 + subject + verb + the + comparative 2 + subject + verb
Examples:
— The more you write, the smarter it gets.
— The thinner you become, the easier you feel.
— The bigger they are, the cheaper they are sold.
— The more you eat, the fatter you become.
— The sooner I leave, the earlier I will reach home.
Note:
Generally, the article ‘the’ does not precede a comparative. But in this unique structure of the sentence, ‘the’ precedes both of the comparatives.
However, there is one more structure that allows ‘the’ to come right before a comparative.
Structure:
Subject + verb + the + comparative + of the two + (noun)
Or
Of the two + (noun) + subject + verb + the + comparative
Examples:
— Shaun is the better player of the two brothers.
— Of the Marsh brothers, Mitchel is the better bowler.
— Alex is the smarter of the two boys.
— She is the wiser of the two Bronte sisters.
— Of the two novels of Joyce, the Ulysses is the more intriguing one.
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EM
-
Articles
-
Usage
-
Commonly confused
Summary
Both I and me are grammatically correct in comparisons using than. “Than I” appears more often in formal contexts.
Example
- Acceptable: You are better than me.
Formal: You are better than I am.
The reason both I and me work is that the word than can be treated as either a preposition or a conjunction. As a preposition, it takes pronouns in the objective case (like me, her, and him). As a conjunction, than is followed by pronouns in the subjective case (like I, he, and she).
Example
- Than as preposition: Poco is taller than me.
Than as conjunction: Poco is taller than I am.
“Than me” works best in simple comparisons. “Than I” can help introduce a new clause with additional information.
Example
- Correct: Lulu is younger than me.
Correct: Lulu is younger than I was when I got my first job.
I vs. me
The pronoun I is used in the position of subject in a sentence. Other subject pronouns include she, he, they, and we.
Examples
- I like to fly.
subject (what or whom the sentence is about) = “I”
- She likes coffee.
- He has two left feet.
- We are on our own now.
- They are going to Mauritius tomorrow.
Me is an object pronoun: it serves as the object of a verb or a preposition. Other examples of object pronouns are her, him, them, and us.
Examples
- Anita called me this morning.
object of the verb called = “me”
- Are you talking about me?
object of the preposition about = “me”
- These flowers are for her.
- I told him you weren’t here.
- Have you replied to them yet?
Whether to use I or me depends upon the grammatical function the word must serve in a sentence: that of subject or object. In this article, we discuss whether “than I” or “than me” is correct—in other words, whether a subject or an object pronoun should be used with than.
Than: Preposition or conjunction?
The word than can act either as a preposition or as a conjunction. In both uses, it introduces the second element of a comparison.
Prepositions are words of relationship, like for, from, on, in, and about. As a preposition, the word than shows a relationship of comparison between two parts of a clause. Remember that the object of a preposition is an object pronoun like me, not a subject pronoun like I. Therefore, than as a preposition is followed by me rather than I.
Examples
- Lulu is funnier than me.
object of the preposition than = “me”
- I’m sure Rita can run faster than me.
When than is used as a conjunction, it connects two clauses. An object pronoun like me cannot serve as the subject of a clause. The subject pronoun I must be used instead.
Examples
- Lulu is a better comic than I ever was.
This sentence has two clauses—”Lulu is a better comic” and “I ever was”—joined using the conjunction than.
- Rita can run faster than I can.
This can be shortened to “Rita can run
faster than I
.”
As you can see, both “than I” and “than me” are grammatically correct. Which pronoun to use with than simply depends on whether you want to use the word as a preposition or a conjunction.
Than I vs. than me
“Than I” and “than me” are both grammatically acceptable. When to use which depends on whether you want to treat the word than as a preposition or a conjunction. In a simple comparison, “than” can easily be used as a preposition, which is why “than me” sounds natural.
Examples
- Anita is smarter than me.
- Tumkin is taller than me.
- Rita is more adventurous than me.
But when you want to add another clause to the sentence, present more information, using than as a conjunction can be useful.
Examples
- Anita is smarter now at the age of seven than I am as an adult.
- Tumkin is taller than I am in six-inch heels.
- Rita is more adventurous than I ever want to be.
Another consideration is that of formality: than is often treated as a conjunction in formal usage, which is why I sounds more formal than me in a comparison.
Example
- Acceptable: Anita is more qualified than me.
Formal: Anita is more qualified than I am.
Note that when than is used as a conjunction, it connects two clauses. It is better style to complete the clause than to omit the verb and leave the subject pronoun hanging.
Example
- Poor: You clearly care about her more than I.
Better: You clearly care about her more than I do.
Note
Grammar and style authorities, like Merriam-Webster and the Chicago Manual of Style, agree that than can be used both as preposition and conjunction. Its use as a conjunction (“than I”) is seen more often in writing and edited prose than in speech, where it is usually treated as a preposition (“than me”).
Use than as a conjunction when you want to present new information, rather than in simple comparisons, where using than as a preposition suffices and sounds more natural. Consider the following examples.
Example
- Than as preposition: My sister was younger than me.
A simple comparison: “than me” works fine.
Than as conjunction: My sister was younger than I am now when she wrote this poem.
The subordinate clause introduced by than presents additional information.
Also note that in formal usage, than is generally used as a conjunction.
Example
- Acceptable: Minerva is a better candidate than me.
Formal: Dr. Dash is a better candidate than I am.
Other subject and object pronouns are used similarly as I and me with than. When than is used as a preposition, it takes pronouns like him, her, us, and them as the object. When it is used as a conjunction, the clause that follows has pronouns like he, she, they, and we as its subject.
Examples
- Preposition: I am older than her.
Conjunction: I am older than she was when she wrote this book. - Preposition: I have earned more stars than him.
Conjunction: I have earned more stars than he has. - Preposition: We know less than them.
Conjunction: We know less than they do about dinosaurs. - Preposition: They are just luckier than us.
Conjunction: They are just luckier than we are.
Differences in meaning
Sometimes, whether you use a subject pronoun like I or an object pronoun like me with than can affect meaning.
Examples
- Meaning 1: She loves him more than I.
or, She loves him
more than I love him
.
Meaning 2: She loves him more than me.
or, She loves him
more than she loves me
.
- Meaning 1: He has known her longer than I.
or, He has known her
longer than I have
.
Meaning 2: He has known her longer than me.
or, He has known her
longer than he has known me
.
If using than as a preposition (“than me”) would cause confusion, use it as a conjunction instead (“than I”), writing out the complete comparative clause.
Examples
- Confusing: Poco trusts her more than me.
Clear: Poco trusts her more than I do.
Clear: Poco trusts her more than he trusts me. - Confusing: Nesbit likes video games more than me.
Clear: Nesbit likes video games more than I do.
Clear: Nesbit likes video games more than he likes me. - Confusing: You know her better than me.
Clear: You know her better than I do.
Clear: You know her better than you know me. - Confusing: You look more like her than me.
Clear: You look more like her than I do.
Clear: You look more like her than like me.
Examples from literature
Here are some examples from writing that show than used as a preposition: “than me.” Note how it sounds perfectly correct and natural.
Examples
I helped look after the Thomas children—there were four of them younger than me—and I can tell you they took a lot of looking after.
She was just eighteen, two years older than me, and by far the most popular of all the young girls in Louisville.
When the leaders were older than me I could believe in their wisdom, I could believe they had transcended rage and malice and the need to be loved.
Yes, Raymond; he’s two years older than me.
— Anne Tyler, Redhead by the Side of the Road (2020)
In contrast, in the following examples, than is used as a conjunction. Note how the writers complete the clause (“than I am,” “than I was”) rather than leaving it hanging at “than I.”
Examples
‘Maggie,’ she said, in a low voice, that had the solemnity of confession in it, ‘you are better than I am.’
‘I don’t suppose you are any more surprised than I am myself,’ said Marilla.
— Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables (1908)
I would live out my days surrounded by people nicer than I am.
— Anne Tyler, Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant (1982)
She was a more charitable person than I was; I admired her in that, but I could not emulate her.
— Margaret Atwood, The Testaments (2019)
Apart from me, other object pronouns like him, her, them, and us are used with than as a preposition. Here are some examples from writing.
Examples
A stone is heavy and the sand is weighty; but a fool’s wrath is heavier than them both.
We cannot bear to believe that there might be something more worthy of love than us, more worthy of worship.
And like I, subject pronouns like he, she, they, and we are used with than when it is a conjunction.
Examples
Men are more interesting in books than they are in real life.
One day they will open a paper or a Web page and read for themselves about the year—2050 or so, according to the prophets—when the time will run out. A year when they will be no older than we are now.
— Zadie Smith, “The Lazy River,” New Yorker (2017)
Other words of comparison
Words like as and like also cause confusion. Like than, they also function both as prepositions and conjunctions.
Just like than, as is treated as a conjunction more often in formal writing and as a preposition in general usage.
Examples
- Preposition: She is as old as me.
Object of the preposition as: “me”
Conjunction: When she wrote this book, she was as old as I am now.
Subordinate clause introduced by than
- Preposition: We know as much as them.
Conjunction: We know as much as they ever will.
The word like is treated as a preposition in simple comparisons, but as a conjunction when additional information needs to be presented.
Examples
- Preposition: She looks like me.
Conjunction: She looks like I did when I wanted to get my own way. - Preposition: They are people like us.
Conjunction: They are excited like we were as children.
English has a lot of confusing words, especially those words that look alike and sound alike. The two words I want to talk about today are no exception.
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. I get this question from a lot of readers.
What is the Difference Between Then and Than?
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. After reading this post, you shouldn’t have any trouble when choosing than or then.
When to Use Then
Then has a number of different functions, but it is most commonly used as either an adverb or an adjective. Below are a few examples of its many meanings and uses.
- At that time.
- I was at work then.
- Come over this afternoon; I’ll be ready then.
- Next in time, space, or order; immediately afterward.
- We saw a movie and then went out for dinner.
- We filled up the car and then began the trip.
- In addition; moreover; besides.
- The glasses are $100, and then there is sales tax.
- First you need a license, and then you can drive.
- In that case, accordingly.
- If the weather is bad, then my flight will get canceled.
- If there is heavy traffic, then I might be late.
All four of these uses are uses of then as an adverb. The use of then as an adjective is much more limited.
- Being so at the time.
- The decision was made by then chairman Bill Gates.
- The bill was signed by then President Ronald Reagan.
As you can see, most of the uses of then have to do with time. It can mean next in time or at the time. Keep this in mind for later when I give you the trick to remember.
When to Use Than
Than is a conjunction that is used for making comparisons between elements, objects, people, etc.
- He is taller than I am.
- She can run faster than I can.
- Your meal looks better than mine does.
- Coca-Cola is better than Pepsi.
In all of these examples, than is used to introduce a comparison between two things. This is important to keep in mind. No matter what you are comparing, whether it be time, money, speed, if a comparison is taking place, than is the correct word choice.
Popular Phrases Using Than
There are a few popular phrases that use than that people aren’t sure whether to use then or than. In the following phrases, than should be used.
- More than less than; less than more than. (Less then or less than?)
- He has less than I have. (Correct)
- He has less then I have. (Wrong).
- She has more than I have. (Correct)
- She has more then I have. (Wrong)
- Rather than or rather then?
- I would rather eat than sleep. (Correct)
- I would rather eat then sleep. (Wrong)
In the above example using rather then or than, the two sentences communicate different meanings. The first sentence says you prefer (right now at least) eating to sleeping. The second says you prefer to eat first and sleep second. 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.
- Sooner rather than later.
- I would prefer to eat sooner rather than later. (Correct)
- I would prefer to eat sooner rather then later. (Wrong)
For over 300 years, grammarians have insisted that than be regarded as a conjunction, as opposed to a preposition, in all of its uses.
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. In this sentence, the name Jill is standing in for the full clause Jill is.
In other words, the pronoun that follows than is determined by whether it serves as the subject or object of the verb “understood.”
The traditional rule, therefore, requires the sentence Jack is taller than I (not me), since the full sentence is understood to be Jack is taller than I am. 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. In this sentence Jack is acting as an object of shocked, whereas in the first sentence he was the subject.
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.
- He is taller than she.
- You are taller than I.
In informal writing and speech, sentences like he is smaller than her are widely used and almost universally accepted.
Remembering When to Use 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.
A good trick to keep track of these words is that then is usually used to indicate time. Both then and time have a letter “E” in them.
Than is used to make comparisons. Both than and comparison have a letter “A” in them.
Summary
These two words are very close in their appearance, but than vs. then have very different uses.
Then is commonly used to express a sense of time or what comes next or used to be.
Than is used to form comparisons between two things.
Contents
- 1 What is the Difference Between Then and Than?
- 2 When to Use Then
- 3 When to Use Than
- 4 Popular Phrases Using Than
- 5 Than Me vs. Than I
- 6 Remembering When to Use Then and Than
- 7 Summary