Writing Helper: Poor and Pour, Then and Than
This is part of the series:
- Grammar Helper
- Grammar Helper: Ensure, Assure, Insure
- Grammar Helper: There, Their, They're
- Grammar Helper: Appraise vs. Apprise
- Grammar Helper: Idea vs. Ideal
- Grammar Helper: Commas in a series
- Grammar Helper: Who and Whom (simple version)
- Grammar Helper: I vs. Me
- Writing Help: Who's vs. Whose
- Writing Helper: Just Thinking to Myself
- Writing Helper: Poor and Pour, Then and Than
- Grammar Helper: Its vs It's
- Writing Helper: Breath vs. Breathe, Bath vs. Bathe
- Cite, sight and site
- Writing Helper: Stationary vs. Stationery
- Writing Helper: Lose vs. Loose
- Avoiding the Passive Voice
- Possessive vs. Plural: Getting it Right
- Writing Helper: A lot
- Writing Helper: Bath vs Bathe
- Writing Helper: Choose vs Chose
- Writing Helper: Idea vs. Ideal
Writers often confuse poor and pour, simply because they sound alike.
Poor means to lack money. It also means to elicit sympathy. Pour means to pour liquid.
Examples:
- Poor Emily didn’t get the client.
- Michael considers himself poor because he can’t sell his novel.
- Pour me a cup of coffee, would you?
Many people confuse then and than in their writing. I think this is probably because they don’t make much of a distinction between the two in their speaking.
Then, refers to time. First one thing happened, and then another. Than, on the other hand, is used when making comparisons.
Examples:
- I published my first novel and then quit my day job.
- I would rather read horror than any other genre.
Try to avoid these common mistakes in your writing. Your editor will appreciate it!
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