Differences Between “Affect and Effect”, “Who and Whom”, “Your and You’re”, “Then and Than”
Easy explanations to improve English in the digital world
Last time we discussed differences between their, its, whose, and their homonyms:
“Affect and Effect”, “Who and Whom”, “Your and You’re”, “Then and Than” are also often confused in blog posts and on social media. But we can fix them in no time. Let’s do it.
The Difference Between Affect and Effect
Affect: to change something, to influence
Music can affect your mood and how you think.
Affect is a verb. It describes an action that will cause something to change.
“When you’re confined to a TV series, and you have to play one character, it can make you insane. But it didn’t affect me. I got out in time.” — Johnny Depp
Effect: a change, a result
The effects of the new drug were immediate. The patients felt much better soon.
Effect is a noun. It is a result of your action. Effect is a consequence of what was affected.
“Writing songs has a therapeutic effect, and it either kills off love or wins the heart of the lover.” — Shakira
The Difference Between Who and Whom
Who: the one who does something
Who did this?
Who wants to be a millionaire?
Who is a subject — I, you, he, she, we, they. Who is the one that takes action.
“A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.” — Albert Einstein
Whom: the object of an action
I didn’t know what to do, so I asked for help the man whom I’d just met.
Whom is an object — me, you, him, her, us, them. It is the one that receives the action.
“Animals, whom we have made our slaves, we do not like to consider our equal.” — Charles Darwin
Note:
If you are not sure whether you should use who or whom, replace the missing word with pronouns. If you can use “he”, then put “who”. If you can use “him”, then put “whom”.
The Difference Between Your and You’re
Your: it belongs to you
Your son is so bright!
We use your for possession. It is a possessive form of “you”, i.e. a possessive determiner. It states that something belongs to you.
“Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please.” — Mark Twain
You’re: you are
You’re the only person who I can always rely on.
You’re is the short form of “you are”.
“When you’re acting, you’re a person. When you’re modeling, you’re a hanger.” — Analeigh Tipton
The Difference Between Then and Than
Then:
1. Then — at that moment
We haven’t seen each other since college. He had a fiancé then.
We use then to indicate a particular time when something happened.
“Like what you do, and then you will do your best.”
— Katherine Johnson
2. Then — next
First I panicked, then I remembered he could help me out.
We can use then to say what happens next or after another action.
“The most interesting information comes from children, for they tell all they know and then stop.” — Mark Twain
Than: for comparison
Your house is bigger than mine.
We use than for comparing two people, things, actions, etc.
“The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.” — Helen Keller
To Recap
Affect: to change something
Effect: a result, a consequence
Who: the one who does something
Whom: the object of an action
Your: it belongs to you
You’re: you are
Then:
1. at that moment
2. next
Than: to compare two things
Let’s Do a Small Exercise
Find the correct word:
1. The government’s decision could _________ millions of people. (affect / effect)
2. I don’t know ________ I saw but there was someone behind that wall. (who / whom)
3. Don’t regret _________ choices. You thought they were for the best at the time you made them. (your / you’re)
4. First I got up and had a shower, _________ I had breakfast. (then / than)
Now, Try to Find an Example for Each of These:
Affect / effect
Who / whom
Your / you’re
Then / than
Here are my other posts about writing better: