Than or Then in Literary Contexts
Directions: Circle the best answer from the choices in parenthesis ().
- “Great works of art have no more affecting lesson for us (than/then) this. They teach us to abide by our spontaneous impression with good-humored inflexibility (than/then) most when the whole cry of voices is on the other side.”
Emerson, R.W. (1993). Self-Reliance and Other Essays. Dover Publications, Inc. Mineola, New York.
- “The old man was thrown into a fright at once. He put the mare in the stall, threw her a measure of oats, and (than/then) set out as fast as his bow-legs could carry him on the path to the nearest neighbor.”
Cather, W. (1989). O Pioneers! Viking Penguin Inc., New York.
- “On the whole, men are more good (than/then) bad; that, however, isn’t the real point.”
Camus, A. (1991). The Plague. First Vintage International Edition, New York.
- “Brushing your teeth in the guest bathroom, with nothing much better to do (than/then) snoop, you inevitably start reading the thousands of words inscribed all around the bottle.”
Godin, S. (2003). The Purple Cow. Penguin Books, New York.
- “Pickling was all the rage just (than/then), so he furnished the house with old Provencal furniture duly pickled and surrendering discreetly to modernity, with modern fabrics.”
Maugham, W. S. (1992). The Razor’s Edge. Somerset Penguin Books, New York.
- “He ceased to have racking headaches and his eyes were losing the look of bewilderment that when I first saw him on coming to Paris had been so distressing. He did not talk much except now and (than/then) to tell a long-winded story, but laughed with great loud guffaws at the nonsense Isabel and I talked.”
Maugham, W. S. (1992). The Razor’s Edge. Somerset Penguin Books, New York.
- “He didn’t talk very much either, but it didn’t matter, his company was sufficient conversation; he was so easy, so pleasantly cheerful that you didn’t ask more of him (than/then) what he gave, and I well knew that if they days we spent together were so happy it was due to his being with us.”
Maugham, W. S. (1992). The Razor’s Edge. Somerset Penguin Books, New York.
- “She had his companionship no longer; I esteemed it a duty to supply its lack, as much as possible, with mine; an inefficient substitute; for I could only spare two or three hours, from my numerous diurnal occupations, to follow her footsteps, and (than/then) my society was obviously less desirable (than/then) his.”
Bronte, E. (1961). Wuthering Heights. Scholastic Magazines, Inc. New York.