More than words

Yes, it's true, kids, we at RPA now take requests for blog postings. We have so much helpful information stored in our pretty little melons that it would be cruel NOT to share it with the world.

So, by popular demand, the topic for this posting is...then vs. than. Apparently, Leno has issues with this grammar dilemma, and asked for a lesson on it. Since the first step is admitting you have a problem, we will happily help our friend on the road to recovery.

Then is used mostly as a follow-through phrasing, such as:

Leno is going to endure a grammar lesson, and then she is going to write a test to show what she has learned.

In this sentence, we see that after Leno listens to a brilliant lecture, her next step will be a continuance action that will, in turn, test her knowledge.

Than is used more for comparison or alternate situations, such as:

Leno would rather sit through stats class than go out with her friends.

This sentence shows how important studying is to Leno, and how she truly wants to excel and therefore places school above everything else in her life. Now, we could ALL learn a little something from her, don't you agree?

To further drill this concept into our heads, we could also say:

Shoveling 17 feet of snow with a spoon is more enjoyable than listening to your lecture, so if you stop talking, then you will make me happy.

We here at RPA hope this lesson has helped many of you, our vast legion of fans. And remember, you, too, can request a grammar lesson from us. Simply send an e-mail to i_am_useless@rpa.com Just leave us a comment and we will be happy to help you out, and we promise we won't judge your level of intellect.

Well, not verbally, anyway.