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This device includes components A and B. A has element c and d. Then, B has element e and f.

I would like to know whether Then" in the sentence above I created is used correctly. You may think "Then" in the sentence above is unnecessary, but I am required to translate literally, word by word, from my language to English.

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  • Who or what is requiring you to translate literally word by word? That is usually a terrible idea.
    – stangdon
    Commented Jan 28, 2021 at 12:47

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Yes, "Then" can be used at the start of a sentence, but it is unnecessary here. Unnecessary words often obscure the meaning. Translating word for word isn't always possible.

What do you want "then" to mean? In this context it might mean:

"After that, B has..."
or
"Therefore, B has..."

But I don't think you want to say either of those things. So the sentence is incorrect.

We would usually say,

A has elements c and d. B has elements e and f.

Note that "elements" is plural.

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  • I want "Then" to mean simply "And".
    – rama9
    Commented Jan 28, 2021 at 9:30
  • But you don't need either "then" or "and". Those words spoil it. This is perfectly good English: "John has an apple. Mary has a banana." So is "A has elements c and d. B has elements e and f."
    – Old Brixtonian
    Commented Jan 28, 2021 at 22:47

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