If you’re still struggling with former and latter, here’s an easy few tips to help you remember. The doctor, or if the latter is too busy, the nurse, will see you shortlyĪ tip for remembering the difference between former and latter.His presentation takes place in the latter half of the conference.I get paid in the latter part of the month.It can also be used as an adjective to describe something near the end or someone or something that’s just been mentioned. The word latter (rhymes with flatter) often refers to the second of two options mentioned (as in. Similarly, latter doesn’t always refer to the second item in a series. It means at that time in the future (as in a later date). or the last in a list The latter point is the most important. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more. Bob has lost so much weight he’s a shadow of his former self Definition of latter adjective in Oxford Advanced American Dictionary. My former bedroom is now our living room.That’s my former boss, whom I worked for in 1998.To complicate things, both former and latter can be used as adjectives.įormer is sometimes used to refer to things that happened in the past or are related to a past event. Now your reader (or listener) knows that your brother had salad and your sister had soup. The former ordered salad, the latter chose soup.” Here’s another example: “I met my brother and my sister for lunch. The former loves going for walks, and the latter does not.”įormer refers to the first object (the dog), and latter the second (the parrot). When you use former and latter in a sentence, it’s usually because you want to qualify something and need to let your reader know which of the two objects mentioned that you’re referring to.įor example: “I have a dog and a parrot. It is also used to refer to something that comes after, like latter-day. Latter is used to describe the last items in a longer list. Former vs latter – definition and examples Former is used in a situation where the word can be replaced with the phrase the first one it can also be used to indicate something that came before something else. They’re also much more common in formal writing, such as academic papers or professional memos.įormer and latter generally go together and are used to identify items in a series or sequence. Learn these rules, and you’re on your way to concise and clear communication! When we use former and latterīefore we dive into the differences between former and latter, it’s worth noting one big similarity – both are mainly used in writing rather than speech. These terms are often used interchangeably (and incorrectly, unfortunately), but there are very distinct rules about when they should be applied. If you’re always getting stuck on whether to use ‘latter’ or ‘former,’ read on. Tidying up your grammar blind spots can help you sound more professional and properly express what you’re trying to articulate. So much so that even the experts get it wrong sometimes.Īlas, it’s worth taking the time to get your terminology right. The English language is full of problematic phrases and grammar hang-ups.
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