The proper usage of “former” and “latter” depends upon an understanding of the definitions of these words.
former - (adjective) first-mentioned of two
latter - (adjective) last-mentioned of two
Notice that these definitions contain the words “of two.” This means that “former” and “latter” can only be used in reference to two people or things. If a comparison contains more than two people or things, use “first” or “last.”
first - (adjective) preceding all others in a series
last - (adjective) coming after all others in a series
Look at the proper usage of “former” and “latter” in this sentence:
Jack and Jill went up the hill; the former fell down and broke his crown while the latter came tumbling down after him.
Jack and Jill are two people. In this sentence, Jack is the former and Jill is the latter. This sentence is correct because the comparison is between two people.
Jack and Jill and Bob went up the hill; the latter watched the other two fall down.
This sentence is incorrect. The series contains more than two people, so “latter” should not be used. Bob is the last person in the series. Replace “latter” with “last” to correct the sentence.
Jack and Jill and Bob went up the hill; the last watched the other two fall down.
- Read a Grammar Example of the usage of last vs. latter.
