This was then when I realized vs This was then that I realized

Both phrases are commonly used in English, but they have slightly different meanings. 'This was then when I realized' is correct when referring to a specific time in the past when a realization occurred. On the other hand, 'This was then that I realized' is correct when introducing the realization as a subsequent event or consequence of the preceding context.

Last updated: March 23, 2024 • 1843 views

This was then when I realized

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to refer to a specific time in the past when a realization occurred.

This phrase is used to indicate a particular moment in the past when a realization dawned on the speaker.

Examples:

This was then when I realized that I had made a mistake.
It was then when I realized the importance of family.
That was then when I realized how much I loved her.
It was then when I realized I needed to change my ways.
This was then when I realized I had been wrong all along.

Show examples from the web [+]

It was then I realized this was Rod's horror.
Then I realized this was Santa Claus.
Either I'm losing my mind, or all of this was really happening, and then I realized there was a third possibility.
And then I realized this was exactly what I needed -
It was then I realized he was not breathing.
It was then I realized we were made for each other.
But then when I realized that you were actually trying to help,
But then I realized she had this gift.
But then I realized this isn't about me.
Then I realized: this is the wiretap.
Then I realized that this is the next level.
But then I realized that this land is my world.
I was trying to hang on to this moment because I was so afraid of the future, but then I realized all of this was once the future.
When I was younger I always wanted to be an actor in commercials, then I realized I had a brain.
All day long, I've had this feeling that I had forgotten something, and then I realized what it was.
First I was a little upset, but then I realized this is great.
Then I realized how much good I can do by formulating this state's health policy.
At first I wasn't sure why he was telling me this, But then I realized he's still trying To cover his tracks and yours.
Then I realized I didn't feel like being the only former murder suspect at the pep rally this morning, so...
Then I realized, as soon as Adam heard this... he'd be worried about his wages.

Alternatives:

That was the moment when I realized
That was when I realized
It was at that point when I realized
That was the time when I realized
That was the instant when I realized

This was then that I realized

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to introduce a realization as a subsequent event or consequence of the preceding context.

This phrase is used to connect a past event or situation with a realization that occurred as a result of it.

Examples:

This was then that I realized I had to make a change.
It was then that I realized I had been wrong.
That was then that I realized I needed to move on.
It was then that I realized I had to let go.
This was then that I realized I had to face my fears.

Show examples from the web [+]

It was then I realized this was Rod's horror.
It was then that I realized rejection is easier to accept when you're honest with yourself about the reasons why.
It was then that I realized that my friend had gone completely mad.
It was then that I realized that the rules of the economic game were inherently invalid.
It was then that I realized I must devote my life to science.
Then I realized this was Santa Claus.
It was then that I realized... that I was going to spend the rest of my life with him.
It was then that I realized narrating other people's activities was just disguising the fact that we had none of our own.
It was then that I realized that Dersu's ingenuity had saved my life.
I realized then that I couldn't demonize him as someone selfish.
Either I'm losing my mind, or all of this was really happening, and then I realized there was a third possibility.
All day long, I've had this feeling that I had forgotten something, and then I realized what it was.
And so it was then that I realized there was an opportunity for me to collaborate with these scientists, and so I jumped at that opportunity.
It was right then that I realized that the pill wore off hours ago.
It was right then that I realized what I had to do.
I realized then that I was not the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
But I realized then that I wasn't afraid of anything.
So I realized then that I wanted to go out on a journey and see what guys were creating for themselves now.
I realized then that I was in love with her.
It was then I realized that I could also use an aerial drone to expand the worlds of bedridden people through flight, giving a sense of movement and control that is incredible.

Alternatives:

That was when I realized
That was the moment that I realized
It was at that point that I realized
That was the time that I realized
That was the instant that I realized

What Our Customers Are Saying

Our customers love us! We have an average rating of 4.79 stars based on 283,125 votes.
Also check out our 2,100+ reviews on TrustPilot (4.9).

"Thank you!"
Sachi Nakama July 2024
"I have literally been through chat, PI, claude, bard and bing and I got conflicting answers! Thank you! Human intelligence reigns!"
Retha July 2024
"Faster than AI"
CYNTHIA December 2023
"This was very helpful and I personally think this site is the best."
Kaden October 2023
"It was extremely thorough and very helpful!"
imperialelisa October 2023
"7 years without any disappointment. Always 100% satisfied. You guys are the best in the world at what you do. Thank you so much :)"
Zubair Alam October 2023
"In a world of text messages and online communication, this is great to have as a live tool. Thank you."
Selena October 2023
"Without textranch I would be stuck!"
宏祐 October 2023
"Accuracy and fast response. Personal comments from editor. Thank you."
Clh September 2023
"I wasn't aware of this service, it's fascinating and more reliable than standard IA tools available on the internet"
Arturo September 2023
"The fact that you can get reliable fast feedback on your texts."
Vinicius Antonio August 2023
"you guys are better than grammarly i'm being honest here"
ordinary July 2023
"OMG! This is really good than any other text correction tools I've used so far. Highly recommend this."
Vehan July 2023
"Very fast and accurate. thank you."
mojtaba July 2023
"I love this app because it's help to writing skills all of students ♥️"
Tarisini July 2023
"This was exactly the mistake I was looking for, the wording dind´t sound right at first. Better than grammarly!"
Ente July 2023
"The immediate help that I received was reassuring and very satisfactory. Thanks."
priiiyanshuu July 2023
"this helps A LOT for my studies."
kathnunez02 June 2023
"Woow!! I would never have expected such precision! Thank you soooo much!!"
Berta June 2023
"Real Time Editor and not AI. Many Thanks."
Priya June 2023
"The very first thing excites me about Textranch is how much your editors care."
sepideh June 2023
"The fact that texts are checked by human editors rather than by AI, etc. I appreciate this!"
Анна June 2023
"Feel welcome, immediate response, high quality feedback"
martin.roy June 2023
"This is the best app that I have ever seen"
Burulai May 2023

This was then when I realized vs This was then that I realized