#317: When to Use Rather Than and Instead Of | Accurate English Grammar

Are these two sentences correct?

• She decided to walk rather than take the bus to work.
• She decided to walk instead of take the bus to work. 

The answer? Yes. And no. 

Let me explain.

In colloquial (or informal) daily English conversation, you’ll hear both. And most of the time, no one will hear or notice a difference. 

They won’t know that one is correct and the other is not.

But, if you ever take an exam such as the TOEFL or IELTS… 

Or an exam such as the GMAT to enroll in a graduate program in the United States…

Or, if you simply love understanding and using accurate English grammar, then getting them right is essential. 

So, let’s talk about these two similar phrases that often cause confusion and frustration.

When to Use Rather Than and Instead Of 

Rather Than and Instead Of: Similar But Different 

One reason for confusion is the similar meaning of these two phrases. But remember, similar doesn’t mean the same. There’s room for some difference.

Both express contrast and preference, making them seem interchangeable at first glance. However, they have distinct uses and structures that can lead to confusion.

Let’s start with the difference in usage and meaning.

Usage and Meaning:

• Rather than: Used to express a preference for one thing over another, emphasizing a choice you have between two things, actions, or states.
  • I prefer coffee rather than tea in the morning.
  • She prefers swimming rather than biking for fitness.
  • He chose to study rather than go to the party.
  • When on vacation, I prefer relaxing on the beach rather than racing around to every tourist attraction.

• Instead of: Used to indicate one thing is done in place of another, showing a clear replacement or substitution. In other words, one thing is chosen or done, and the other is not.
  • She decided to watch a movie instead of a TV show.
  • He chose to stay in instead of going out for the night.

Common Confusions:

1. Interchangeability in Some Situations: In many cases, both phrases can be used to express a preference or substitution, but the nuances might differ.
   • He reads books rather than watches TV. (Shows a general preference for reading over watching TV.)
   • He reads books instead of watching TV. (Implies he chooses reading as a replacement for watching TV.)
2. Formal vs. Informal Usage: Both phrases are used in formal and informal contexts, but “rather than” often appears more in formal writing, while “instead of” is common in everyday speech.

Accurate Grammatical Structure:

Now let’s transition to the grammatical structures—this is where you’ll find the most important differences between rather than and instead of.

Rather Than:

This phrase is often used to maintain parallel structure in sentences.

Hmm, what is parallel structure, you ask? Good question.

Imagine driving on the highway. There are two lanes going in the same direction, which are parallel to keep cars moving forward without crashing into one another. 

Can you imagine the chaos and danger of driving if streets weren’t parallel? 

Similarly, parallel structure or parallelism reduces chaos in English communication. Using parallel structure helps with:

• Clarity
• Flow and rhythm
• Memorable, impactful statements

Parallel structure in grammatical terms means maintaining the same pattern of words or phrases with nouns, verbs, gerunds, and adjectives. 

Let’s review our examples from before, plus one extra. Notice that nouns or verbs or gerunds are used before and after ‘rather than’ to keep that parallel structure.

• Examples:
• I prefer coffee rather than tea in the morning.
• She prefers swimming rather than biking for fitness.
• He chose to study rather than go to the party.
• They chose to remain silent rather than cause a scene.
• When on vacation, I prefer relaxing on the beach rather than racing around to every tourist attraction.

Instead Of

Instead of is more limited than rather than. Why?

Instead of is a preposition. That means it must be followed by a noun or a gerund (the noun form of a verb with -ing). It cannot be followed by a verb. 

Here’s what I mean.

• Correct: ✅I drink coffee instead of tea in the morning. (Noun)
• Note: To emphasize general preference, you can also say: I drink coffee rather than tea in the morning. 
• Incorrect: ❌He chose to study instead of go to the party. (Verb)
• Note: We cannot use ‘instead of’ followed by a verb. 

Are you thinking, “But wait a minute, Annemarie. I know I’ve heard people say,

• She decided to walk instead of taking the bus.

Isn’t that a verb with ‘taking?’”

Great question!

Here, “taking” is a gerund—the noun form of the verb ‘take.’ We can make a verb a noun by adding -ing. And when we do this, we’re indicating that someone does something instead of doing something else.

Let’s go back to:

• ❌Incorrect: He chose to study instead of go to the party.

We can correct this by saying: 

• ✅He chose to study instead of going to the party.

While it mixes the forms, it is still grammatically correct and widely used in both spoken and written English.

And now, high five! You’ve taken one more step in your English progress today!

Share your comments and questions with me anytime—you can do that in the comments below. 😊

All my best,

~ Annemarie

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