Stranger then fiction...

[Rue]

Rubbish thread alert, but I'm getting wound up. Have you noticed this...?

Why, oh why do so many people use 'then' instead of 'than' in their writing? I've encountered this so many times on these boards and the Internet recently that I've begun to question if I'm using the word correctly. Typical examples being... 'Set aside more then 2/3 of mixture', 'It's faster then the 911' and 'stranger then fiction.'

It's 'than' people! Than! Than! Than!

 

[Wolfe]

There's more to it than just that word -- if you haven't noticed any other common errors then you're not looking close enough.

Maybe it's easier for me to remember the correct spelling because I pronounce the "a" in "than" just like the "a" in "man"....?

 

[Omnis]

Maybe it's easier for me to remember the correct spelling because I pronounce the "a" in "than" just like the "a" in "man"....?

ðæn ftw.

 

[1X83Z]

I'll tell you what I hate.

If one more person says 'should of' when they mean to say 'should have' I'll just die. Idiots.

 

[Sage]

Maybe it's easier for me to remember the correct spelling because I pronounce the "a" in "than" just like the "a" in "man"....?

Yeah, I’ve never understood why they seem to give so many people trouble, because they’re not even homonyms.

As long as we’re ranting, almost every single day I hear “less” used improperly, and to me it sticks out like a Ferrari in a Toyota dealer lot. It bothers me so much that I usually forget everything the person says after that.

And do not get me started on comma splices. I could rant so long on that subject that some resourceful individual would figure out how to capture that energy and use it to power small cities.

 

[HiQQory]

Is it really than? Well if it is, im sorry if i have ever made you mad, im off to school now to correct my english teacher

And P.S Remember guys, that this is an international forum, so all the mis-spelling isn´t always intentional

 

[Omnis]

Is it really than? Well if it is, im sorry if i have ever made you mad, im off to school now to correct my english teacher

I hope your English teacher is from the steppes of Mongolia.



... and your principal is Helen Keller sans literacy.

 

[Rue]

that this is an international forum, so all the mis-spelling isn´t always intentional

Trust me when I say the 'then/than' issue seems to occur mainly with native English speakers. If I could speak another language a third as well as most of the English foreign language speakers on this forum, I'd be more than happy!

 

[skip0110]

This bothers me as well, but I know I do it sometimes when I'm not paying attention. Perhaps I should of been more careful, but than again, who can always pay that much attention to everything they tipe?

 

[MistaX]

I'll tell you what I hate.

If one more person says 'should of' when they mean to say 'should have' I'll just die. Idiots.

I should of replied to this thread sooner.

 

[Wolfe]

As long as we’re ranting, almost every single day I hear “less” used improperly...

How's that?

"The Bugatti Veyron costs less than a Toyota Corolla".....?

 

[GilesGuthrie]

How's that?

"The Bugatti Veyron costs less than a Toyota Corolla".....?

What Sage is on about is the incorrect use of the word "less" in place of the correct word "fewer". One should use "fewer" if the thing being described is in discrete units.

Jake has five apples. John has three apples. John has fewer apples than Jake.

Since "cost" is an ephemeral notion, it is correct to use "less" when comparing the cost of two items. (By the way, you have very expensive Corollas in your area). But if you are describing the number of pounds you need to describe it, you're back to fewer.

The Toyota Corolla costs less than a Bugatti Veyron: one needs fewer pounds to purchase the Corolla.

By the way, I was getting so incensed by the thread title that I was going to change it. Until I realised that it was discussing the very thing that was annoying me!

 

[daan]

I should of realised their is nothing more annoying then that.

 

[Omnis]

What Sage is on about is the incorrect use of the word "less" in place of the correct word "fewer". One should use "fewer" if the thing being described is in discrete units.

Jake has five apples. John has three apples. John has fewer apples than Jake.

Since "cost" is an ephemeral notion, it is correct to use "less" when comparing the cost of two items. (By the way, you have very expensive Corollas in your area). But if you are describing the number of pounds you need to describe it, you're back to fewer.

The Toyota Corolla costs less than a Bugatti Veyron: one needs fewer pounds to purchase the Corolla.

By the way, I was getting so incensed by the thread title that I was going to change it. Until I realised that it was discussing the very thing that was annoying me!

The 1st Reich had less power than the 3rd. If there was a 5th, however, the 3rd would still be only one führer.

... I'll find the door.

 

[Touring Mars]

so all the mis-spelling isn´t always intentional

It isn't always international, either... I've seen plenty of people from the UK who frequently say then when they actually mean than...

 

[Bram Turismo]

What Sage is on about is the incorrect use of the word "less" in place of the correct word "fewer". One should use "fewer" if the thing being described is in discrete units.

Jake has five apples. John has three apples. John has fewer apples than Jake.

Since "cost" is an ephemeral notion, it is correct to use "less" when comparing the cost of two items. (By the way, you have very expensive Corollas in your area). But if you are describing the number of pounds you need to describe it, you're back to fewer.

The Toyota Corolla costs less than a Bugatti Veyron: one needs fewer pounds to purchase the Corolla.

By the way, I was getting so incensed by the thread title that I was going to change it. Until I realised that it was discussing the very thing that was annoying me!

Interesting thread, and that's one hell of a nice post 👍

But what about "than/then", when do you have to use either of them? I've been wondering on this for a long time actually...

 

[Touring Mars]

If you are a native English speaker, then it should be obvious/natural... unlike less and fewer, it is much more than a slight grammatical faux-pas... it's pure and simply a case of using the wrong word completely... the two are never interchangable.

Then implies some sort of relationship with time... "I went to the shops, and then I went home"... or can be used as a consequence of your actions, usually alongside 'if', such as "If I smash this ice, then I will fall through into the water"...

Than is a bit harder to explain but it is usually used to describe a superlative or a comparitive phrase, such as 'more than', 'better than' i.e. "I have more money than you" or "Celtic are better than Rangers".

 

[Bram Turismo]

So if I read your post, then I will understand how to use then and than.

Have I got it? Thanks for explaining tough 👍

 

[GT Pro]

Have I got it? Thanks for explaining tohugh 👍

'tohugh' it is then. 👍

-I'm just being picky. But really, I've never thought about the differences in then and than; looking thoroughly into the two words would prove little.

But next time I use one of them wrongly, point it out for me okay?

 

[Loon]

Does it really bother y'all that much. I mean as long as you understand what people are trying to say, whats the major problem?

 

[Famine]

I've never, ever heard anyone use then rather than than though.

 

[GilesGuthrie]

So if I read your post, then I will understand how to use then and than.

Have I got it? Thanks for explaining tough 👍

Yeah, TM's post is spot on.

The thread title is "Stranger then fiction". This is an abbreviation of the phrase "The truth is stranger then fiction".

Both "then" and "than" are used to link one part of a sentence to another. For "then" there is an implied sequence to the two parts of the sentence, or decision. Commonest amongst these are "First [thing] then [other thing]", in which [other thing] comes after [thing]. But using the word "First" does cause this sequencing to become explicit. First...Then. The use of "then" in this instance should allow the "first" to be dropped, and the sentence is still parseable (makes sense).

The other common use of "then" is to denote an action following a decision. "If [a is true] then [do b]". The sequencing is still true here, because what follows "then" in the sentence is valid based on the truth of whatever is before the sentence. I'm struggling to think of an instance where you could drop the "if" and still parse the sentence though.

"Than" is, as TM says, a comparative operator, where the item following "than" is compared with the item before "than", usually in the manner specified in the sentence. i.e. "better than". Thus, "than" in a comparative sentence should be prefaced with an adverb.

If you're finding all of this difficult to follow, then just apply the rules to the sentence.

If you follow the rules for "then", then you will need to have a statement expressing something happening after "the truth is stranger". This does not work: "The truth is stranger then fiction" is not a complete sentence. "The truth is stranger then fiction becomes even more strange" works, but that's not the expression.

If you follow the rules for "than", then everything is nice and happy. "The truth is stranger than fiction". This says that in strangeness terms, truth > fiction.

Does that help?

Does it really bother y'all that much. I mean as long as you understand what people are trying to say, whats the major problem?

The problem is that for each thing that you "let go", the language becomes less and less clear. If you relax all of the rules of grammatical construction, you're basically plonking random words on a page in a random order, and hoping that the reader understands you. Proper grammar allows you to craft sentences that cannot be misunderstood.

I've never, ever heard anyone use then rather than than though.

You see it written more than hearing it said though.

 

[Rue]

I've never, ever heard anyone use then rather than than though.

Now you're aware of it, I bet you see it on this forum at least once before this time next week.

EDIT: Only today in the Questionnable Mods thread...

Nascar racing takes a different skill then most race series

 

[V1P3R]

Might as well ad your and you're...

 

[daan]

And plural's with apostrophe's

 

[kennythebomb]

Does it really bother y'all that much. I mean as long as you understand what people are trying to say, whats the major problem?

There is an interesting point.

The concept of language is to transmit and share ideas. So as long as people understand you, it really doesn't matter at all.

However; generally it follows that the more precise/correct you are, the less confusion there will be. It's a case of effort vs. reward.

I try my best to present my thoughts clearly. But I know that I'm a decent enough writer that if I make an occasional typo, use the wrong punctuation in some situations, or accidentally use the wong word in a common scenario; people will still understand me and no harm done.

 

[UnoMOTO]

GTP is truly the best gaming forum on the net. We challenge each other to become better at everything we do. It does seem a bit nit picky at times but worth pointing out to make our world a better place. It’s funny how a silly game has turned it to all this. Thanks Jordon and all the moderators for creating and maintaining this little slice of goodness on the internet.

 

[Keef]

Yes, thanks to J and all the Ms for giving us a place to stay, and thanks to all the dummies who actually keep us here, bickering on and on.

Now than, what was I going to say about these words? I think I might of forgot.

 

[Tulok]

Well, is the actual saying "The truth is stranger then fiction" or Than?
If it is then, then if you want to understand what he is trying to say, say it as if there is a comma after stranger. It bugs me, but I hardly notice it, on account that i read so fast. well, im gonna leave this thread, I have got more important things than to argue about then.

 

[Sage]

But I know that I'm a decent enough writer that if I make an occasional typo, use the wrong punctuation in some situations, or accidentally use the wong word in a common scenario; people will still understand me and no harm done.

And speaking of that, I honestly got confused for a second because you incorrectly used the semicolon. You only use a semicolon to join together two independent clauses; your first clause is a dependent clause because you said “if”.