Most of you must have heard of the words ‘former’ and ‘latter’, but what do these terms mean? You might have heard sentences like ‘The former is my brother, and the latter is my father.’ How would you explain these words? This article will talk about the difference between the words ‘former’ and ‘latter’. There are plenty of words in the English Language that often confuse people. So it’s necessary that they know the meanings of words before using them in sentences. This article will talk about the following points so that one understands the importance of ‘former’ and ‘latter’.
- Table Summarising the Difference between Former and Latter
- The Difference between Former and Latter – Meanings
- Examples of Former and Latter
- Former and Latter – Conclusion
Table Summarising the Difference between Former and Latter
| Former | Latter | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | The word former refers to something that’s mentioned before or at the beginning of a list of two or more items. | The word latter refers to something that’s mentioned last or at the end of a list of two or more items. |
| Usage | It is used as an adjective. | It is used as an adjective. |
| Example | Elena is my former wife. | The latter is my sister. |
This table shows that the words ‘former’ and ‘latter’ aren’t synonymous nor can be used interchangeably. Since students often get confused between these words, this table will help them understand the contexts they are using these in. Once they get the difference between these two words, they can apply them correctly in sentences.
The Difference between Former and Latter-Meanings
In a sentence, if it’s given, ‘Divide the number 340 by 2 and show the result’, the former number or the previously mentioned number is 340, whereas the latter or last number mentioned is 2. So we can say it in this way that the former number is asked to be divided by the latter. Both ‘former’ and ‘later’ are used as adjectives as it describes the noun. So ‘former’ means the one that’s talked about previously or at first, and ‘latter’ means the one that’s talked about later or after the ‘former’. Once the students get this concept, they can easily use them sentences.
Examples of Former and Latter
The following examples will help students understand the terms ‘former’ and ‘latter’:
Former – This is Sheldon and Penny. The former is my brother.
Latter – Tim was called to the Principal’s office as the latter was angry with his behaviour.
Once students understand the difference between the words ‘former’ and ‘latter’, they can easily apply them in proper contexts.
Former and Latter – Conclusion
The words ‘former’ and ‘latter’ have entirely different meanings and can never be used interchangeably. When one is using these words, one has to understand the context before using them. BYJU’S offers various articles on many such ‘Differences Between Two Words’ that students often get confused with.
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