Curiosity is different than other ways of being fulfilled…

Shouldn’t it be “different from“?

Different from, different than…what’s the difference (pardon the pun)?

The word than is a preposition that usually follows an adjective when making a comparison between people, items, or conditions. Examples include more than, less than, better than, worse than, colder than, sweeter than—you get the idea.

However, different than can also be correctly used in a sentence such as the following:

College life is different than I expected.

So, what is the distinction between this example and the first one that uses different than incorrectly?  A clause instead of a noun follows the word different.

General Guideline:

If a noun follows different, use from:
Curiosity is different from other ways of being fulfilled…

If a clause (has a subject and verb) follows different, use than:
College life is different than I expected.

See also Dictionary.com’s explanation:
How do I know when to use different from, different than, different to?

Example 1 (incorrect usage): I’m going with you on vacation, aren’t I?

Although the use of this phrase is widespread, it is atrocious English that could be considered equivalent to you is, a phrase which most educated people abhor (although for some reason, these same people have no qualms about saying aren’t I). The correct form of the sentence in Example 1 is as follows:

Example 2 (correct usage): I’m going with you on vacation, am I not?

If you read this sentence aloud, it probably sounds awkward and formal, perhaps even a bit hoity-toity. However, it is correct English. If the phrase aren’t I is converted from a question to a statement, I aren’t, it becomes obvious that it is indeed grammatically incorrect.

Example: I drug myself out of bed this morning.

The past tense of drag is actually dragged, not drug. This error is particularly common in speech. Even Bill Clinton once made this blunder on national television, returning to bad habits he developed as a youth growing up in Arkansas.

Remember that the word drug should never be associated with any kind of pulling action. It should only be used when referring to some type of medicinal substance.

Good and well in the context illustrated above are no doubt two very commonly confused words. Good is an adjective (and a noun in some cases); well can be an adjective or an adverb, but in most cases, it is used as an adverb. In the example sentence, well should be used because an adverb is needed to modify the verb doing. Good is not the most appropriate word to use in this context because adjectives cannot modify verbs.

Perhaps you’ve also wondered, “What about ‘I am feeling good ‘? Is this correct, or is it ‘I am feeling well‘?” Here’s where it can get tricky. Both are correct. But isn’t feeling a verb? Yes, but it is a linking verb. Linking verbs are different from other verbs in that they are not performing an action, but are connecting the subject with another word in the sentence. In both sentences, feeling links good and well back to the subject I. Good and well are not adverbs modifying the verb feeling; rather, they are adjectives modifying I, the subject of the sentence. Note that the meanings conveyed are different (feeling good refers to a state of mind; feeling well refers to health), but both are grammatically correct. The same is true when used with other linking verbs such as look. (You look good. You look well.) Looking good refers to attractiveness; looking well refers to health.

In a nutshell:

Good: always an adjective, never an adverb; never modifies a verb but can follow a linking verb and act as a modifier for the subject.

Well: adjective or adverb depending on context. When an action verb is involved, an adverb is needed, and well is always the choice, never good.

Below is a handful of irregular verbs that seem to be most frequently misused (even by the educated among us. Tsk tsk). Most English handbooks should have a complete listing of all 200 or so of these verbs.

Example (less-correct usage): There is less milk than juice in the refrigerator.

In the example sentence above, milk does not consist of an amount that can actually be counted, so less is the appropriate word to use. This type of sentence rarely causes any problems for English speakers. However, in a sentence such as, “There are fewer people in class today than there were yesterday,” a great deal of confusion arises over what is correct. Many people would be tempted to say, “There are less people in class today than there were yesterday.” But remember that if the objects can be counted, always use fewer, not less. People in a class can be counted, so fewer is the correct choice for this sentence.

lie: lie, lying, lay, (have) lain
lay: lay, laying, laid, (have) laid

The confusion generally seems to occur with the forms of lie. The following sentences illustrate the correct and incorrect uses of lay and lie.

lie/lay

I lie [not lay] on the floor when I watch television.

I lay my keys on the table when I arrive home from work.

lying/laying

I am lying [not laying] on the floor watching television.

I am laying my briefcase on my desk to remind me that I have work to finish.

lay/laid

Yesterday I lay [not laid] in bed all day with a fever.

Yesterday I laid my briefcase on my desk and forgot about it when I left for work.

(have) lain/(have) laid

I have lain [not have laid] in bed all day with a fever.

I have laid my briefcase on my desk to remind me that I have work to finish.

Although these are two extremely confusing verbs, with a little practice, you should have them down pat. Unfortunately, I don’t know of any helpful hints to use for remembering how to use lie and lay correctly. My only suggestion is to memorize them and practice.

Example 1 (incorrect usage): It looks like it will rain.

Like should only be used before a noun, as in the following example:

Example 2 (correct usage): The girl looks like her mother.

Take a close look at the two sentences above. Do you see the difference in how they are used? In the first sentence, like is followed by the clause it will rain. In the second sentence, like is followed by her mother. Whenever a subject and verb follow, remember to substitute like with either as though or as if, as illustrated in the final example below.

Example 3 (correct): It looks as if it will rain.

Example 1: The band only sang five songs at the concert.

Example 2: The band sang only five songs at the concert.

Example 1 indicates that the band sang, rather than played, five songs. The sentence in Example 2 indicates that the band sang five songs, rather than eight or ten or any other number. There is a distinct difference in meaning. However, it is common for only to be misplaced in a sentence, making the meaning of the sentence ambiguous.

A similar error was made with the popular old song called “I Only Have Eyes for You.” The writers of this song would have made the message clearer by writing “I Have Eyes for Only You.” But then again, the song just wouldn’t sound the same had the lyrics been written to be grammatically correct. Regardless, when using only in your own speaking and writing, remember to place it as close as possible to the word you are modifying so the meaning of the sentence is clear to the audience.

Example 1 (incorrect usage): I am real tired today.

Example 2 (correct usage): I am really tired today.

Although this error is somewhat acceptable in informal conversation, it is actually incorrect and should never be used in writing. The reason that real is incorrect when used this way is simple: Real is an adjective, and as you can see in the first example above, real is incorrectly used as an adverb. In the example, real is describing tired, which is an adjective, so the adverb really is needed to make the sentence correct.