I'm totally confused - where was "than" and "then" used incorrectly? I'm just not seeing it...
According to http://grammarist.com/usage/than-then/:
Then is mainly an adverb, often used to situate actions in time. For example, you wake up in the morning and then have breakfast. It’s also used in if … then constructions such as, “If you wake late, then you might have to skip breakfast.” It also works as a noun meaning that time (e.g., “I wanted breakfast, but then was not a good time”) and as an adjective meaning at that time (e.g., “My then boyfriend was not an early riser”).
Than is a conjunction used mainly in making comparisons—e.g., “My breakfast is better than yours”; “I make breakfast differently than you do.”
That being said - the instances Tom's article where "then" or "than" were used are as follows:
"they smell better than Kim Kardashian" = comparison - correct
"made the mistake of thinking that Harrison Ford was Amish and then assaulted Ford with an ice cream cone" = situate action in time - correct
"but every now and then" = situate action in time - correct
"but then I realized" = situate action in time - correct
"She did a double-take and then asked me" = situate action in time - correct
Seems like it is all proper grammar to me... Just saying...
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According to http://grammarist.com/usage/than-then/:
Then is mainly an adverb, often used to situate actions in time. For example, you wake up in the morning and then have breakfast. It’s also used in if … then constructions such as, “If you wake late, then you might have to skip breakfast.” It also works as a noun meaning that time (e.g., “I wanted breakfast, but then was not a good time”) and as an adjective meaning at that time (e.g., “My then boyfriend was not an early riser”).
Than is a conjunction used mainly in making comparisons—e.g., “My breakfast is better than yours”; “I make breakfast differently than you do.”
That being said - the instances Tom's article where "then" or "than" were used are as follows:
"they smell better than Kim Kardashian" = comparison - correct
"made the mistake of thinking that Harrison Ford was Amish and then assaulted Ford with an ice cream cone" = situate action in time - correct
"but every now and then" = situate action in time - correct
"but then I realized" = situate action in time - correct
"She did a double-take and then asked me" = situate action in time - correct
Seems like it is all proper grammar to me... Just saying...