Celebrity English

An idiom that often appears on college entrance examinations is "different from." Do not use "different than" because it is considered to be incorrect.

This idiom can be remembered by changing the syntax of the sentence: in place of a linking verb and the adjective "different," use a form of "to differ."

1. Bob is different from Sam in that the former is funny and the latter is not.
2. Bob differs from Sam in that the former is funny and the latter is not.
3. Bob is different than Sam in that the former is funny and the latter is not.
4. Bob differs than Sam in that the former is funny and the latter is not.

While colloquial speech may have made the third sentence sound acceptable, the last sentence does not make sense. Remember how "differs than" sounds silly to avoid using "different than."