"It was different than I thought." vs "It was different than I had thought."

Question

"It was different than I thought." vs "It was different than I had thought."

Both phrases are correct, but they are used in slightly different contexts. 'It was different than I thought' is more commonly used in informal speech to express a general surprise or realization. 'It was different than I had thought' is used when referring to a specific past moment or expectation.

Last Updated: March 26, 2024

This phrase is used to express a general surprise or realization about something that was not as expected.

Examples:

The movie was different than I thought.
The taste of the food was different than I thought.
The outcome of the game was different than I thought.

Alternatives:

it was different from what I thought.
it was not what I thought.
it was not as I thought.
it was different from my expectations.
it was different from what I had in mind.

This phrase is used when referring to a specific past moment or expectation that was not as expected.

Examples:

The outcome was different than I had thought.
The result was different than I had thought.
The experience was different than I had thought.

Alternatives:

it was different from what I had thought.
it was not as I had thought.
it was different from my expectations at that time.
it was different from my previous understanding.
it was different from my initial impression.

Answer 1

It was different than I thought.

This phrase is correct and commonly used in informal speech to express a general surprise or realization.

Answer 2

It was different than I had thought.

This phrase is correct and is used when referring to a specific past moment or expectation.

"It was different than I thought." vs "It was different than I had thought."

It was different than I thought.

It was different than I had thought.

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