We get creative. You get results.
Is it better, then, to be better than?
We presume the author of this eblast knows the difference between then and than.
Then is used when speaking about time and consequences.
a. Earl Grantham walks with the dog, and then he dresses for dinner.
b. If Thomas asks Daisy to the fair, then William will be disappointed.
Than is used for comparisons.
c. Lady Edith has fewer advantages than Lady Mary.
Sometimes substituting one for the other changes the meaning of sentence.
d. Mrs. Crawley would rather get a stick in the eye than have tea with the Dowager Countess.
e. Mrs. Crawley would rather get a stick in the eye, then have tea with the Dowager Countess.
Writers make the then/than mistake often when typing. Perhaps that's because the words are pronounced very similarly and the writers are tripped up while taking dictation from their inner muses. Spell check doesn't help, as both are correct spellings, even if used incorrectly.
So, every time you see then or than while editing, a little red flag should pop up, alerting you to make sure you have the right one.
- DO pay extra attention to uses of then and than. Mixing them up is a very common mistake.
- DO know thyself. Every writer and editor has a few Achilles' heels. Give the attention that is due when you see words and phrases that have flummoxed you in the past.