Editor's Corner

I came across this article the other day about the Top Ten Confused Words fromDaily Writing Tips.Rather than give you all ten comparisons, I’m delivering just two sets. These pairs come up more often than you might expect when we are editing.

Enjoy your holiday weekend in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr’s birthday (which was actually today, in 1929).

than/then
The word than is a conjunction used after a comparative adjective or adverb to introduce the second member of the comparison.
Ex. She thinks her border collie is smarter than my boxer.

The word then is an adverb that refers to a specified time, past or future, as opposed to the present.
Ex. We didn’t have enough money for luxuries like books then.

till/’til
Till has different functions, one of which is that of conjunction with the same meaning as until: ‘to the time that; up to the point when”: I will sit here till he agrees to speak to me.

The form ’til is an unnecessary shortening of until.

(KC – For more on this sometimes argued about topic, seeThe Grammarist.)

Kara Church

Technical Editor, Advisory

619-542-6773 | Ext: 766773

Symitar Documentation Services

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