Common English Mistakes: Then vs. Than, Affect vs. Effect, and More

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englishyplus

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English Teacher • 256.2K followers

This lesson will help you understand and correctly use confusing English words. You will learn the difference between then and than, affect and effect, loose and lose, and their, there, and they’re to make your writing and speaking clearer.

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20

L
Lily ·
Reply

'Don’t loose your temper' sounds right though lol, is that wrong still?

2 answers View
N Navid ·
6

Same. Autocorrect never helps either 😅

Y Yara ·
7

Thanks I always typed it with two O’s 😩

20

S
Sara ·
Reply

'They’re going to meet us there'—I never get which 'there' to use 😭 any tips?

2 answers View
D Daniel ·
6

That substitution trick actually works. Gonna use it more.

H Hana ·
9

'They are going... ohhh that makes sense now. Thanks!

20

A
Alex ·
Reply

Wait, so 'affect' is always a verb and 'effect' is always a noun?

2 answers View
T Taylor ·
7

I always mixed them up in emails. No more 😅

L LingUp LingUp ·
11

This clears up years of confusion for me, ty!

20

M
Mina ·
Reply

How do you know when to use 'loose' vs 'lose'? They BOTH confuse me!

2 answers View
H Hana ·
10

It helps me to remember 'lose' is shorter—like you're missing something.

R Reza ·
12

Omggg I’ve been saying 'don't loose your keys' forever 💀

18

S
Sam ·
Reply

Why is it 'than him' and not 'than he' in the smart sentence?

2 answers View
R Reza ·
4

'Than him' sounds way more natural to me too.

L LingUp LingUp ·
6

I was always told 'than he' in school. Glad both are okay. 😅

16

J
John ·
Reply

I saw someone write 'She is kinder then me' today. That’s wrong right?

2 answers View
Y Yara ·
4

I remember it like: 'than = comparison' 🧠

A Anna ·
6

Classic mistake. I used to write 'then' all the time too.

14

A
Amir ·
Reply

Could 'affect' ever be a noun? I think I saw it in science books?

2 answers View
E Emma ·
5

Ok so I’ll stick with 'affect' = verb for now 👍

N Navid ·
4

Didn’t expect to learn psych terms here lol 😆

13

O
Omid ·
Reply

So in the sentence from the quiz, it should be 'effect' right?

2 answers View
F Fatemeh ·
4

I chose 'affect' the first time 😓 but learning!

D Daniel ·
5

Yesss I got it right 🥳

11

N
Nina ·
Reply

Can you say 'they are car is blue'? Sounds weird

2 answers View
A Anna ·
3

Possession yay! English is tricky.

F Fatemeh ·
4

Ooh okay so THEIR = belongs 😅

9

M
Maryam ·
Reply

Lowkey thought 'effect' was a verb 😅

2 answers View
I Iris ·
3

Still shocked this wasn’t always a noun 🤯

E Emma ·
5

Ohhh like 'to effect change'? Heard that before!

Mistakes That Change Meaning

Then vs. Than: Time vs. Comparison

These two words sound similar but have very different meanings. It is important to use the correct one.

  • Then is used for time or sequence. It tells you what happens next.

    Example: First, we will eat dinner, then we will watch a movie.

  • Than is used for comparison. It helps you compare two things.

    Example: My cat is bigger than your dog.

A common mistake is using 'then' for comparisons.

❌ Incorrect: My brother is older then me.

✔️ Correct: My brother is older than me.

Affect vs. Effect: Verb vs. Noun

Many learners find 'affect' and 'effect' confusing. The main difference is that one is usually a verb and the other is a noun.

  • Affect is a verb. It means 'to influence' or 'to cause a change in something'.

    Example: The cold weather can affect our plans for the weekend.

  • Effect is a noun. It means 'the result' or 'the consequence' of an action.

    Example: The positive effect of the new manager was a happy team.

People often incorrectly use 'effect' as a verb.

❌ Incorrect: The new rules will effect the whole company.

✔️ Correct: The new rules will affect the whole company.

Loose vs. Lose: Not Tight vs. Misplace

These words are different in spelling and meaning. 'Loose' has a soft 's' sound, while 'lose' has a 'z' sound.

  • Loose is an adjective that means not tight or not firmly held.

    Example: After I lost weight, my old shirt felt a bit loose.

  • Lose is a verb that means to misplace something or to fail to win.

    Example: Be careful not to lose your keys.

A common mistake is to use 'loose' when you mean 'lose'.

❌ Incorrect: I don't want to loose the game.

✔️ Correct: I don't want to lose the game.

Their vs. There vs. They’re: Possession, Place, and 'They Are'

These three words sound the same but have completely different meanings and spellings. Let's look at each one.

  • Their shows that something belongs to them. It is a possessive adjective.

    Example: Their house is on the corner of the street.

  • There refers to a place or location.

    Example: Please leave your wet shoes there, by the door.

  • They’re is a short form (a contraction) of 'they are'.

    Example: They’re very happy to see you.

It is a common mistake to mix these up in a sentence.

❌ Incorrect: Their waiting for us over they're.

✔️ Correct: They’re waiting for us over there.

Key takeaways

You can now use these tricky words correctly! Remember: then is for time, but than is for comparing. Affect is a verb, and effect is a noun. Loose means not tight, and lose means to misplace. Finally, use their for possession, there for a place, and they’re for 'they are'.

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englishyplus

About englishyplus

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@englishyplus 256.2K followers

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