• Categorized under Grammar,Language | Difference Between Then and Than

Then vs Than

Then is an adverb that is used to refer to a particular time in the past or the future. 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. Than, on the other hand, is a preposition that is used to introduce the second part of a comparison. For example, you would say, I am older than her or she loves me more than you do. Than is also used for comparing numbers, amounts, distances etc along with the words more, less, fewer. For example, there were fewer than twenty people in the room during the party.

Than can also be used in expressions showing that one event happened straight after another. For example, you can say, no sooner had I sat down than there was a loud knock on the door or hardly had we arrived than the problems started.

Meanwhile, then can be used to introduce the next item in a series of actions or events not as a comparison. For example, you can say, he drank a glass of whiskey, then another and then another. Then is also used to show the logical result of a particular statement or situation. For example, you can say, if you miss that train then you’ll have to get a taxi.

Then is often used to give additional information. For example, you would say, she has been very busy at work and then there was all that trouble with her son. Then is also used to introduce a summary of something that has just been said. For example: These, then, are my main areas of concern. Then can also be used to show the beginning and end of a conversation. A very common and typical example of this usage is the sentence ‘Okay then, I have to go’.

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