I’ll admit right now I’m not a grammar guru. I’m sure there are any number of mistakes in my posts. I’m a writer – not a scholar. However, there are one or two mistakes that could really reflect badly on you. One in particular I’ve taken the better part of the last week to remove from, of all things, an academic text. It’s the old then/than switcheroo.
I can’t fault my 18-year-old for making the mistake. She’s young – grammar is something that supposedly we learn with age (notice I said “supposedly” – that’s because “supposably” isn’t a word). But I can fault a major institution. And a college. And business people. And fellow writers. This one is like nails on chalkboard for me. It’s also the easiest habit to break, in my opinion. Here’s how – then indicates time, as in “I’ll eat dinner and then I’ll call her back.” Than indicates comparison, as in “My nail polish is better than yours.” That’s it. That’s how you know. So, a quick test –
If you were to tell me you prefer your toothpaste over mine, which word would fit here – “My toothpaste tastes so much better _____ yours.”?
If you were going to give me directions, which would it be – “First, you put the noodles in the boiling water, _____ you stir in a little bit of olive oil.”?
I’m not the true grammarian. If you need a better fix, visit Julia Temlyn’s blog.
One of my pet peeves is the way people switch then and than. But that doesn’t have me pulling out hair nearly as much as people who use loose when they mean lose. It amazes me how many people do it.
My pet peeve is people using “it’s” to show possession. And I really hate it when I do it. :b