Re: Different....'THAN' ..vs. FROM

Subject: Re: Different....'THAN' ..vs. FROM
From: Gene Kim-Eng <gene -at- genek -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Mon, 31 Mar 2003 15:20:44 -0800


This one's a tough one to deal with, because it's a matter of "preferred" rather than "correct."
You can find more than a few references that will support the use of "than" as technically not
incorrect. My approach to the matter has been to explain that while "than" is not technically
"wrong" and is quite common, "from" is the "preferred" usage, and that readers who are or
fancy themselves as academic will instantly brand the user of "than" as an ignorant rube whether
the impression is accurate or not. So they can use "than," in which case most readers won't
care and some will think them ignorant, or use "from," in which case nobody at all will care.
That way those who use "than" won't feel as if I'm correcting them and will assign the fault for
the whole thing to the anal-retentive academic reader. Since most of the products and services
I've documented over the years have had a substantial number of academic users, the response
is usually, "go ahead and change it."

Gene Kim-Eng



At 01:12 PM 3/31/2003 -0500, Muwonge, Margaret wrote:
These days I hear 'different than' everywhere....and I mean everywhere!! I have diligently crossed out 'than' and replaced it with 'from'. I simply cannot forget my English teacher's rage at the 'murderers of the English language' (this was a different country guys).
Besides, as far as I know on this side of the pond, Princeton, NJ, (SAT, SSAT, GRE, etc.) will NOT let you get away with ' different than'.
With all that said, my diligence has earned me questioning looks from some corners ....'how dare you'!! What do you mean?...blah...blah...!!
So, I turn to you my esteemed friends, do I or do I not replace the 'word' ? Personally, if somebody sees ---'whatever'--- as different than, who am I to argue!
Question: Is this mainstream now and OK?




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