Doesn't anybody use the word "THAN" anymore? Almost every story I read has that instead of than in places where it's necessary. "To tell the truth, you look a lot skinnier that before." Basic grammar, kids,
Doesn't anybody use the word "THAN" anymore? Almost every story I read has that instead of than in places where it's necessary. "To tell the truth, you look a lot skinnier that before." Basic grammar, kids,
skinnier that before
I think that's quite funny considering how the author professes to use multiple editors.
AJ
in fairness that looks a lot more like a typo than a wrong word use. Although the author does say his editors go without food and water until they finish the job, so that might be a factor.
~ JBB
One example is not enough to reach a conclusion.
If "that" is used in the story instead of "than", then it is not a typo.
If "that" is infrequently used in the story instead of "than", then it is a typo.
One example is not enough to reach a conclusion.
Right. I was looking at the single story the OP cited. Given that the story is well over 500K words long and 80+ chapters, I don't have time to see if "that" for "than" appeared more than once. So we don't know whether it was bad word usage or a typo, but it's a classic case of Word missing the error because it's not a misspelled word.
In this particular case I vote for typo and recommend the editor hire a proofreader to supplement his crew of editors.
~ JBB
I've never noticed that particular mistake before. However I see that a lot of people use THAN when they should be using THEN. Or vice versa
Could it be southern dialect, y'all?
Y'know, Georgia or one of the other states around there.
Could it be southern dialect, y'all?
Y'know, Georgia or one of the other states around there.
English dialects are all over the map with vowel pronunciation. It's entirely possible for a/e/i/o/u/y to sound completely different from one accent to the next, and not just in 'southern' dialects.
See, for example: American vs British Pronunciation
And then consider that in the UK and US, there are regional variations. It's entirely possible that 'than' and 'then' are pronounced in ways that make them easily confused.
Waal, that's what ah was traying to say, but while ah'm from the Deep South, it's not the Deep South of the US.
just looks like a typo
I define typo as striking the wrong key.
When the author consistently and incorrectly uses then or than, it is not a typo. It is the author's failure to understand the meanings of the two words.
Then is used to reference a point in time or sequence in which two or more things occurred. I took a shower and then I got dressed.
Than is used to make a comparison between two or more things. Bill weighed more than his friend Jack.
A way to possibly distinguish is to consider whether the situation could be replaced by "If.... then..." otherwise 'than' is the likely choice.
I agree.
The problem is authors need to be aware that they are using the wrong word, but they aren't. If you don't know or suspect that you might be using the wrong word, then there is no need to use that test to determine if you are using the wrong word.
Worst is the authors that DONT CARE that they have used the wrong word.
"The readers will figure it out. "
Yeah, that's what a typo is. Also, in Dvorak T and N are next to each other and it wouldn't show up on basic spell checks, just grammar ones. The simpler explanation of 'hit the wrong key' seems an easier choice here.
I agree, I see that error a lot in stories here on SOL.
Both 'that' where 'than' should be used and 'than' where 'then' should be used, although the first one occurs a lot more than the second.
I agree that it's probably a typo. I KNOW I do it so frequently that I now use Wordsearch and check every instance of the word "than" and still miss some.
I use "than" when appropriate. Others appear more if it's a typo, like FantasyLover mentioned.
I'm always surprised at how many characters on SOL eat a
bowel full of cereal for breakfast.
Would that be anything like haggis?
Will you guys knock it off and be cereal for a minute?
Did you hear about the cereal killer? Snap, Crackle, and Pop were murdered! 😈
Note that a lot of people these days are using systems that actively introduce errors into their writing. I have certainly had autocorrupt quietly replace "than" with "that" or "then" with "them", even when it makes no sense in the sentence. I usually catch it and make it change it back, but not always.
Note that a lot of people these days are using systems that actively introduce errors into their writing. I have certainly had autocorrupt quietly replace "than" with "that" or "then" with "them", even when it makes no sense in the sentence. I usually catch it and make it change it back, but not always.
I submit, on average three bug reports a day for the grammar checker I use (and did so for the previous one). Mainly 'correcting' things that are correct, an often enough with nonsense.
My recent favorite:
Original sentence:
I had finished stir-frying the shrimp and vegetables, so I put the wok on the table, then scooped rice from the steamer.
Suggested correction, listed in the 'error' section, not the 'warning' section:
Near-homophone – Do not confuse the nouns wok and walk.
My bug report:
The suggested correction defies context, and makes no sense if the substitution were to be made. "I put the walk on the table" cannot be correct in any context.
The suggested correction defies context, and makes no sense if the substitution were to be made. "I put the walk on the table" cannot be correct in any context.
Dammit. Now I'm going to spend the rest of the day working out a context when "walk on the table" is correct.
~ JBB
Now I'm going to spend the rest of the day working out a context when "walk on the table" is correct.
Putting something "on the table" is a colloquialism for offering a suggestion for discussion. A walk might mean a journey on foot for recreational reasons.
Someone might put 'the walk on the table' as a suggestion for a day's activity as an alternative to eg a cruise on the lake, a day in bed fucking, a trip on the historic railway line.
AJ
Someone might put 'the walk on the table' as a suggestion for a day's activity as an alternative to eg a cruise on the lake, a day in bed fucking, a trip on the historic railway line.
Nailed it. Or him or her or them, as the case may be.
~ JBB
Someone might put 'the walk on the table' as a suggestion for a day's activity
As in a stroll on Table Mountain, Cape Town?
Dammit. Now I'm going to spend the rest of the day working out a context when "walk on the table" is correct.
~ JBB
Exotic dancers performing on tables at a gentleman's club?
A table is a flat area of land.
Hmm, I would think that is a "plain." Or if it's on the top of a hill, a "mesa" (which is Spanish for table because it looks like a table).
Akarge is correct. "Table" is a very old fashioned descriptive term for a large flat area of land, most often used when that flat area is surrounded on all sides height-changing topography (hills, cliffs, runoffs, etc). A plain can still have small hills but a table would not. A mesa IS a table.. just a specific type of table.
"Table" is a very old fashioned descriptive term for a large flat area of land
I'd expect to see 'Tableland' nowadays, or 'plateau'.
AJ
I wouldn't expect to see "table" used to describe land at all nowadays unless it was in a story with a historical setting. I think the primary usage I have seen was in stories set in the westward migration of US history or in books set in the far past (pre-industrialization).
was in stories set in the westward migration of US history
That's when I would expect to see "plain."
a plain can have an area of it that can be described as a table... but plains also had areas with small hills on them and those areas could not be referred to as tables. Tables are much more limited in scope of size than plains typically are. An area referred to as a table could generally be walked from end to end in a few hours to a day or so... A plain would be much larger in scope and as I said would include other topographical features that you wouldn't find on a table.
Ex: Roy wanted to set up his new farm on the open plains within a day's hard ride of the small town and with a view of the distant mountains. After some exploration, he finally decided on a table of land down by the river's western bend. The table wasn't very large - only a few hundred acres - so as long as there wasn't already a claim on the land, he could probably afford to purchase the entire plot.
he finally decided on a table of land down by the river's western bend
That's not a usage I'm familiar with. A tableland is elevated, like the top of a table with respect to the floor. Rivers flow downwards, so they'd be on the floor.
AJ
A tableland is another specialized form of table where all surrounding points only drop away, none climb. A mesa is a tableland but not all tablelands are mesas. Table is just a bit broader in meaning than tableland. A table of land, while flat, can have surrounding points that drop away OR climb.
As I said, it is a very old fashioned bit of terminology. Most people are comfortable with mesa, plateau, plains and "flat piece of land" as descriptive terms these days and throwing in "table" would just cause unnecessary confusion.