Correction: Than vs Then: Usage Difference Guide
Corrected by Emir Baycan · Full-Stack Developer, Mobile App Builder and Web Platform Founder with expertise in SEO, automation, SaaS, AI visibility, DevOps and scalable digital products
Emir Baycan found something wrong, outdated, or unsupported on this page and proposed a fix. The publisher accepted the correction.
- Role
- Correction
- Publisher
- Evolang
- Topic
- Grammar Guide
- Status
- Accepted
- Date
- 19 July 2026
The exact change
"Rather than trips many writers because rather sounds like a sequence cue. It is not. The phrase is a stable comparison construction that has used than for centuries." Garner's Modern English Usage
Many writers hesitate over "rather than" because "rather" can feel like it signals a sequence. It does not. The phrase is a long-established comparison construction and always takes "than."
Why this is better
Quote attributed to Garner's Modern English Usage cannot be verified anywhere and does not match Garner's documented style or any known passage. This is a fabricated direct quotation falsely attribute
How this record is verified
- The contribution is tied to a real, identified contributor, not an anonymous byline.
- It counts only because the publisher, Evolang, accepted it. Self-claimed work earns nothing.
- It is recorded against a specific page and cannot be bought or edited after the fact.