We use rather than to give more importance to one thing when two alternatives or preferences are being compared: He wanted to be an actor rather than a comedian. Can we come over on Saturday rather than Friday? Rather than usually occurs between two things which are being compared.
How do you use rather in a sentence?
The movie is a comedy, but rather a dull one. I think the children watch rather too much television. It rather annoyed me that he was late picking me up.
Is rather than correct grammar?
“Rather than” indicates a parallel structure in which two things are compared . To be grammatically correct, the two things being compared need to be equal, meaning they have the same grammatical structure or form. Here are two simple examples to demonstrate the parallel structure created by “rather than.”
What comes after rather than?
The expression ‘would rather’ is followed by the bare infinitive (the infinitive without ‘to’).
What does it mean to say rather than?
used for saying that one thing is preferred to another or happens instead of another . Doug chose to quit rather than admit that he’d made a mistake .
What is rather in grammar?
Get ready for some serious grammar instruction. The word rather, itself, is commonly used in English as an adverb to indicate preference, degree, or accuracy . I would rather not go. ... As a conjunction, parallel grammatical constructions appear on each side of rather than.
What’s the difference between rather than and instead of?
“Rather than” is coordinating . “Instead of” is subordinating. As the above examples indicate, while the distinction when it’s a matter of nouns or adverbs might be moot, the verb forms on either side of “rather than” are the same, while “instead of” takes a participle.
What is another word for rather than?
| instead alternatively | as a substitute preferably | alternately as another option | by way of an alternative in preference | on the other hand by contrast |
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How do you punctuate rather than?
If “rather than” comes at the end of a sentence, then there is no need for a comma . Alternatively, if it comes at the beginning of a sentence, then you will need to use a comma at the end of its phrase. Examples: He went to the bookstore rather than the library.
Will Rather or would rather?
It’s not a difference in nuance; it’s a difference in very basic grammar. “ will rather ” is wrong; “would rather” is correct. The idiom is “would rather”. You can’t change the words in idioms.
What is the use of rather than?
We use rather than to give more importance to one thing when two alternatives or preferences are being compared: He wanted to be an actor rather than a comedian . Can we come over on Saturday rather than Friday? Rather than usually occurs between two things which are being compared.
What do you mean by Rather?
1 : with better reason or more propriety : more properly this you should pity rather than despise— William Shakespeare. 2 : more readily or willingly : preferably I’d rather not go would rather read than watch television —often used interjectionally to express affirmation.
What is difference between Rather and prefer?
The easiest way to look at this is: rather is followed by a verb – Example – I rather go to the mall. prefer is followed by an infinitive – Example – I prefer to go to the mall.
Can we use rather at the end of a sentence?
It is usually used with an adverb (so much, so tightly) or an adjective (so dirty), but it can also be put at the end in ‘Don’t grumble so!’
Would rather than examples?
Examples: He would rather watch TV than read a book . She would rather be a nurse than be a teacher. The activity you prefer comes immediately after “rather” and the activity you do not have a preference for comes after “than“.
Is rather than formal?
The short answer is that in most cases, the two phrases are interchangeable, although “rather than” often has a more formal tone than “instead of .” ... The phrase rather than consists of an adverb and a conjunction and often means “and not,” as in I decided to skip lunch rather than eat in the cafeteria again.
