I was pleased to discover that the rest of that first week wasn't much different from/than the first day.
Which is correct, from or than? Please explain. Thanks in advance.
New2grammar wrote: I was pleased to discover that the rest of that first week wasn't much different from/than the first day. Which is correct, from or than? Please explain. Thanks in advance.
Usage Note: Different from and different than are both common in British and American English. The construction different to is chiefly British. Since the 18th century, language critics have singled out different than as incorrect, though it is well attested in the works of reputable writers. According to traditional guidelines, from is used when the comparison is between two persons or things: My book is different from (not than) yours. Different than is more acceptably used, particularly in American usage, where the object of comparison is expressed by a full clause: The campus is different than it was 20 years ago. Different from may be used with a clause if the clause starts with a conjunction and so functions as a noun: The campus is different from how it was 20 years ago. · Sometimes people interpret a simple noun phrase following different than as elliptical for a clause, which allows for a subtle distinction in meaning between the two constructions. How different this seems from Paris suggests that the object of comparison is the city of Paris itself, whereas How different this seems than Paris suggests that the object of comparison is something like "the way things were in Paris" or "what happened in Paris." http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=different&r=66
Usage Note: Different from and different than are both common in British and American English. The construction different to is chiefly British. Since the 18th century, language critics have singled out different than as incorrect, though it is well attested in the works of reputable writers. According to traditional guidelines, from is used when the comparison is between two persons or things: My book is different from (not than) yours. Different than is more acceptably used, particularly in American usage, where the object of comparison is expressed by a full clause: The campus is different than it was 20 years ago. Different from may be used with a clause if the clause starts with a conjunction and so functions as a noun: The campus is different from how it was 20 years ago. · Sometimes people interpret a simple noun phrase following different than as elliptical for a clause, which allows for a subtle distinction in meaning between the two constructions. How different this seems from Paris suggests that the object of comparison is the city of Paris itself, whereas How different this seems than Paris suggests that the object of comparison is something like "the way things were in Paris" or "what happened in Paris."
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=different&r=66
Marius Hancu wrote:>language critics have singled out different than as incorrectI'd stay with that.
I've read that 'different than' is AmE, and 'different from' is BrE.
Yoong Liat wrote: Marius Hancu wrote:>language critics have singled out different than as incorrectI'd stay with that. I've read that 'different than' is AmE, and 'different from' is BrE.
Hi Marius
language critics have singled out different than as incorrect
Could you please let me know where I can find what you stated above? What you've said contradicts what I've read in English usage books.
? but the sentence continues to say that it is commonly used, and the passage goes one to give examples of how to use different than.