我對different用法嘅理解係咪正確？

七瀨 遙 ( 博士級 4 級 ) 完全解錯了 different than，根本不是比較式。

2014-03-15 12:24:07 補充：
當年會考的英文練習只接受different from，後來發現美國人只用different than而不寫different from，今天英文不是英國的語文而是世界不同英語國家的語文，所以兩種寫法都是正確的。

我想樓主的問題主要想問different from後要跟noun或noun clause （clause with 'what' or 'that' marker）而different than後可以跟clause（不用clause marker），這問題的出現是因為比較式後than後面是可以直接用clause而無需要clause marker，估得對嗎﹖

先看比較式：
I run a longer distance than he (runs).
The tree is taller than (it was) last year.
Jane is older than Mary (is).
比較式than後用clause是正確的。

different from/than跟比較式相同地方是兩者都是比較兩樣東西，我個人認為不單different than後可以用clause，different from 後也可以用clause。以下四句都可接受：
Americans today have different eating habits from those they had in the past.
Americans today have different eating habits from they had in the past.
Americans today have different eating habits than what they had in the past.
Americans today have different eating habits than they had in the past.

附帶一提，有些用法雖然嚴格來說文法不正確但因為流行已經被廣泛接受，例如：
Just because he is wearing a suit does not mean he is a decent man.
嚴格來說這句應寫成
The fact that he is wearing a suit does not mean he is a decent man.
因為太多人這樣寫just because已成為clause marker，而
just because something happens 已當noun clause用。

1.
different 是一個 adjective，很多時後面會配以一個 preposition 一起用的，其中一個常見的用法就是 different from，意思是「不同於」，故此你第一句是沒有錯的。


2.
另外，different 因為是 adjective，所以可作 comparatives 用，即 more different than，意思是「更不同」，所以第二句是漏了 more。

但你第二句情況有點複雜，如果你什麼都不改，只是加 more 在 different 前面：Americans today have more different eating habits than they had in the past.

那麼你的意思就會變成「現在美國人比過去有更多不同的飲食習慣」，而非「現在美國人比過去有更不同的飲食習慣」。


只有將 more different 放在用來比較的東西後面：Americans today have eating habits more different than they had in the past.

意思才會是「現在美國人比過去有更不同的飲食習慣」。

所以用 comparatives 要注意位置的分別啊。

2014-03-12 19:55:40 補充：
補充一點，所以 Americans today have more different eating habits than they had in the past. 這句中，different 並不是 comparative 的一部分哦。

This is a good reference.
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/words/different-from-than-or-to

2014-03-12 20:21:07 補充：
"Different from","different than" and "different to" are all correct and used variably in different parts of the world.

2014-03-12 20:22:16 補充：
Both sentences are correct.