Then vs. Than

Kindo · Post by **Kindo** » October 22, 2004, 7:23 am

I just have to get this off my chest. I usually keep fairly quiet about things in general, but this got under my skin so badly that I had to bring it up. The header over on the eqlive forums reads:

Scheduled Update for all EverQuest Servers
On Monday October, 25th 2004 @4am PDT (-7 hours UTC), all EverQuest servers will be brought down for an update. Downtime is expected to be no more then 1 hour The SOE Game Operations Team

Am I the last of a dying breed that knows the difference between than and then? In no way am I implying that I'm the world's expert on grammar, but really, why is it so hard to differentiate when to use then or than?

Partial definitions from Dictionary.com:

Then - adv :1. At that time: I was still in school then. Come at noon; I'll be ready then.
2. Next in time, space, or order; immediately afterward: watched the late movie and then went to bed.
3. In addition; moreover; besides: It costs $20, and then there's the sales tax to pay.
4. Used after but to qualify or balance a preceding statement: The star was nervous, but then who isn't on the first night of a new play.
5. In that case; accordingly: If traffic is heavy, then allow extra time.
6. As a consequence; therefore: The case, then, is closed.

Than - conj: 1. Used after a comparative adjective or adverb to introduce the second element or clause of an unequal comparison: She is a better athlete than I.
2. Used to introduce the second element after certain words indicating difference: He draws quite differently than she does.
3. When. Used especially after hardly and scarcely: I had scarcely walked in the door than the commotion started.

I feel somewhat better now!

Atokal · Post by **Atokal** » October 22, 2004, 9:54 am

Kindo wrote: Am I the last of a dying breed !

Ahhh we can only hope.

Rivera Bladestrike · October 22, 2004, 10:11 am

In 50 years than then and their there they're will all be interchangable I bet...

Lalanae · Post by **Lalanae** » October 22, 2004, 10:26 am

Could be a typo

Drolgin Steingrinder · October 22, 2004, 11:20 am

Atokal wrote:
Kindo wrote: Am I the last of a dying breed !
Ahhh we can only hope.

?

If you're attempting to say that things will be better if Kindo weren't here, you're off your fucking rocker.

<3kindo<3

Kindo · Post by **Kindo** » October 22, 2004, 11:22 am

Atokal wrote:
Kindo wrote: Am I the last of a dying breed !
Ahhh we can only hope.

Yes, I understand that independent women with brains scare the fuck out of you Atokal.

Post by **Sylvus** » October 22, 2004, 11:26 am

I think it's because you're post-pubescent.

Atokal · Post by **Atokal** » October 22, 2004, 11:35 am

Drolgin Steingrinder wrote:
Atokal wrote:
Kindo wrote: Am I the last of a dying breed !
Ahhh we can only hope.
?

If you're attempting to say that things will be better if Kindo weren't here, you're off your fucking rocker.

<3kindo<3

Nope just tired of grammar, spelling nazi's etc. call it a Noelvirus.

noel · Post by **noel** » October 22, 2004, 11:47 am

Much

for Kindo.

Zaelath · Post by **Zaelath** » October 22, 2004, 12:43 pm

I hate when people point out my ignorance too, fortunately I have my blind faith in my leader and my god to see me through.

So anyway.. I hate "that", it's a conversational word that has slipped into written use far more than is strictly necessary. ie, if you look at *most* sentences using the word "that" you can just remove it, perhaps change the tense of the following verb, and it's not necessary.

/pointless rant off.

Seebs · Post by **Seebs** » October 22, 2004, 1:57 pm

God is capitalized, unless your God isn't a, you know, a God.

This is why I capitalize Lenny Dykstra at all times.

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » October 22, 2004, 2:24 pm

I here ya. Farther more, it's lame that there editor didn't catch it. Piece out.

Legenae · Post by **Legenae** » October 22, 2004, 4:06 pm

Kindo wrote: Am I the last of a dying breed that knows the difference between than and then?

No you're not. I notice it all the time too.

Lohrno · Post by **Lohrno** » October 22, 2004, 4:11 pm

I don't know, grammar mistakes don't irritate me that much. If they pile up though, it does have an effect on my pereived intelligence of someone though.

For someone writing for a major company though that's a pretty big no no.

-=Lohrno

Sirensa · Post by **Sirensa** » October 22, 2004, 4:13 pm

Zaelath wrote:So anyway.. I hate "that", it's a conversational word that has slipped into written use far more than is strictly necessary. ie, if you look at *most* sentences using the word "that" you can just remove it, perhaps change the tense of the following verb, and it's not necessary.

That's not true!

That introduces a restrictive clause and has a decent function when used correctly. The problem is that most people don't understand when that should or should not be used.

Example:
The car that is in the garage doesn't run. (restrictive clause, appropriate)
The car, that is in the garage, doesn't run (inappropriate, which should be used instead of that for unrestrictive clauses)

Ha - Can we call this lesson a Sirensaism??

Drolgin Steingrinder · October 22, 2004, 4:17 pm

Wouldn't

The car in the garage doesn't run

be as correct? I h8 grammaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar.

Dregor Thule · Post by **Dregor Thule** » October 22, 2004, 5:12 pm

I hate French grammar! JE J'AI J' TU TE TES TA TON ONT ON NOUS NOUSONS VOUS VOUSONS ANT AN E ER AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Mak · Post by **Mak** » October 22, 2004, 8:51 pm

I'd like to take this moment to add my personal rant-

Its VS. It's

Just as the pronoun SHE has the possessive form HER/HERS and just as HE has the possessive form HIS/HIS, THEY has the possessive form THEIR/THEIRS, the pronoun IT has a possessive form as well: ITS.

RIGHT
The machine lost its power.
The agency published its decision in the newpaper.

Please note the difference in forming the possessive of the pronoun IT. We simply add -s. You do not add an apostrophe -s like you do when forming the possessives of nouns. Thus it is incorrect to use IT'S as the possessive form of IT.

WRONG:
The machine lost it's power.
The agency published it's decision in the newpaper.

The word IT'S is not the possessive form of IT. The word IT'S always (and only) serves as the contraction of the two words, IT IS.

It's a great movie.
It's going to rain today.

To further confuse you, you can try to remember that some of the indefinate pronouns do form their possessives with the " apostrophe -s"...

anyone... anyone's
everyone... everyone's

...but not a single personal pronoun has an apostrophe in it. Only in contractions will the apostrophe show up at all with any of the personal pronouns:

He's coming to dinner.

Thank you, have a nice day.

Rasspotari · Post by **Rasspotari** » October 22, 2004, 10:35 pm

to think this is prolly about all the grammer english has, and you have problems with it.. you guys have it easy.

Spankes · Post by **Spankes** » October 23, 2004, 6:18 am

Seebs wrote:God is capitalized, unless your God isn't a, you know, a God.

God as a proper name is capitalized, not all gods get a capital G.

Truant · Post by **Truant** » October 23, 2004, 10:58 am

Atokal wrote:
Drolgin Steingrinder wrote:
Atokal wrote:
Kindo wrote: Am I the last of a dying breed !
Ahhh we can only hope.
?

If you're attempting to say that things will be better if Kindo weren't here, you're off your fucking rocker.

<3kindo<3
Nope just tired of grammar, spelling nazi's etc. call it a Noelvirus.

Well i'm fucking sick of you, so here's hoping you keel over and die too.

Zaelath · Post by **Zaelath** » October 23, 2004, 12:13 pm

Sirensa wrote:
Zaelath wrote:So anyway.. I hate "that", it's a conversational word that has slipped into written use far more than is strictly necessary. ie, if you look at *most* sentences using the word "that" you can just remove it, perhaps change the tense of the following verb, and it's not necessary.
That's not true!

That introduces a restrictive clause and has a decent function when used correctly. The problem is that most people don't understand when that should or should not be used.

Example:
The car that is in the garage doesn't run. (restrictive clause, appropriate)
The car, that is in the garage, doesn't run (inappropriate, which should be used instead of that for unrestrictive clauses)

Ha - Can we call this lesson a Sirensaism??

Perhaps occasionally, but I call bullshit on your example:

The car, in the garage, doesn't run.

I see no reason for the "that is" in the sentence.

Asheran Mojomaster · October 25, 2004, 12:55 am

Rasspotari wrote:to think this is prolly about all the grammer english has, and you have problems with it.. you guys have it easy.

Huh? I thought English was suppose to be one of the most difficult languages to learn because of all the grammar and weird spelling of words? There are so many stupid rules and shit for the English language. Most people just don't really pay much attention to most of them.

Lynks · Post by **Lynks** » October 25, 2004, 8:23 am

French has a shitload more.

Example: English has only 3 verb tenses(is this a word?) past, present and future.

French has a bout 13 of them.

valryte · Post by **valryte** » October 25, 2004, 9:53 am

The car, in the garage, doesn't run.

I see no reason for the "that is" in the sentence.

Hell then, why not just say...

car in garage, don't run!

Seebs · Post by **Seebs** » October 25, 2004, 10:34 am

Thanks Spankes .. kinda like you are a goddamn pervert. See? No Capitals.

Hey it does work!

archeiron · Post by **archeiron** » October 25, 2004, 10:47 am

Lynks wrote:French has a shitload more.

Example: English has only 3 verb tenses(is this a word?) past, present and future.

French has a bout 13 of them.

French is an easy language: most of its verbs are regular. Spanish has more irregular verbs than French, especially in the past tenses. I have learned both and the consensus amongst people I know with experience in both is that Spanish appears easier when you are first learning it, but turns out to be the more difficult language to master.

English has just as many tenses as other languages, but it is not apparent because we do not necessarily conjugate the verb itself. English is a difficult language to master, but it is not the grammar that makes this so difficult it is the size of the language. The Oxford English dictionary has something like 500,000 words with double that in scientific terms. French and German are both between 100,000-200,000, which taken together is smaller than the English language.

A good example of rather difficult languages would be Russian, where even noun conjugates.

Tenuvil · Post by **Tenuvil** » October 25, 2004, 11:42 am

If any of you care, and want to work on using better/more precise grammar, and don't dismiss a well contructed sentence as Naziism, then I recommend a little book called The Elements of Style, by William Strunk and E. B. White.

Post by **Sylvus** » October 25, 2004, 12:25 pm

Tenuvil wrote:If any of you care, and want to work on using better/more precise grammar, and don't dismiss a well contructed sentence as Naziism, then I recommend a little book called The Elements of Style, by William Strunk and E. B. White.

I recommend that book as well.

noel · Post by **noel** » October 25, 2004, 12:37 pm

That's a great book.

Omit needless words!

archeiron · Post by **archeiron** » October 25, 2004, 2:55 pm

Eats, Shoots, and Leaves

This book is a fantastic read about punctuation.

VeeshanVault

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