Mekita Rivas, SNR communications associate, publishes a biweekly feature called "Grammar Guru."
Every other week, the Grammar Guru will share writing tips to help make your work as polished as possible. Some of these tips may address common spelling errors, while others will examine the many nuances of the English language.
Grammar Guru Tip #35
"Then" is mainly an adverb, often used to situate actions in time. "Than" is a conjunction used mainly to make comparisons.
Examples:
I woke up at 7 a.m. and then ate cereal for breakfast. I then proceeded to get ready for work.
She woke up earlier than her husband. She makes breakfast differently than her husband does.
Pro tip: Use "than" when comparing and "then" in all other instances.
Need some grammar guidance? The UNL Style Guide (http://unlcms.unl.edu/ucomm/styleguide/) is a great resource for all university employees. If you have writing questions that the style guide doesn't answer, feel free to email the Grammar Guru at mrivas@unl.edu.