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

[@TheBounceMan]

I'm a native English speaker from the US and I use both all the time but I never really thought about the difference so thanks!! 🥰🥰

[@ira88878]

I have never met something clear and precise on English grammar like this lesson.

[@Speakconfidentenglish]

I'm glad you enjoyed the lesson.

[@phuongluupham6025]

Your eloquence makes the lesson clear, simple, and learner friendly.

[@Speakconfidentenglish]

I appreciate the kind comment. Thank you for watching.

[@mayilvel7181]

I really like the way you teach, word by word, thinking about non native speakers, thats the quality of a guru.

[@FerozKhan-ss9nn]

Explaining English grammar to the audience is a very important part of learning English in its entirety because clarity is the key to understanding the language. This is why such instruction is essential to knowing the technical aspects of the English language.

[@cristianahaddad9819]

I like and I need grammar. Usualy people don`t like it but grammar helps me to understand better how to use some structures when learning a language. Thanks Annemarie, you are definitely the best.

[@Speakconfidentenglish]

Grammar is an important aspect of language and can be fun to learn. I'm glad you enjoyed the lesson.

[@FerozKhan-ss9nn]

I am so impressed with the way you are teaching your students and audience about the importance of learning English in the most academic way possible and your channel is a right place to learn correct and grammatical English.

[@Speakconfidentenglish]

Wow, thank you for the kind comments!

[@FerozKhan-ss9nn]

@@Speakconfidentenglish you and your channel do deserve to be appreciated and welcomed. Pakistan 🇵🇰

[@jorgeluismaida3996]

As a whole I prefer to study languages rather than work too many hours. However, yesterday a friend of mine moved into a new flat and I decided to help her instead of improving my listening skills.

[@imaginx-si8zu]

Nice to see one more grammarian...... beautiful topic but you took much time in explaining.please go short and accurate. Thanks you very much from India ❤❤❤

[@kenrutherford1109]

The first sentence is correct. The second sentence should be "She decided to walk instead of _taking_ the bus"

[@VictorLopez-qk1rx]

Professor, you're simply just amazing. Fortunately, I happened to come across this video as I was swipping up earlier today. I was impressed by the way you go into the details of your topics, explaining your lesson in perfect, fluent English. Your masterful performance as a teacher is enhanced by the love, kindness and modesty that you display as you teach. These three qualities are crucial elements of education, and your remarkable performance is an example of a language teaching approach par excellence. Despite my busy schedule and hectic pace of life as a servant of Jehovah in Cuba, I'll try to enjoy as many of your videos as I can. May God bless you in these difficult times, professor.

[@Speakconfidentenglish]

Thanks so much for the kind comments, Victor.

[@epsilon-5494]

I like the way you explained this; to the point and precise.

[@Speakconfidentenglish]

Thank you.

[@saidfarid6382]

Hello teacher Thank you so much for your interesting lessons, i do appreciate your job. I wish you peace and happiness under the sky of prosperity. All the best. Take care and have a good time.

[@ericlind6581]

you can also use “over” as well to mean rather than but with nouns and gerunds.

[@helenmartinez5323]

This is the first time that I watch your video and is amazing! The explanation is clear, your voice too. Thank you. I hope to be fluent in English someday.

[@Speakconfidentenglish]

Hi, Helen! Thank you for the kind comment. I'm grateful to know you enjoyed the lesson. For more in-depth training and practice, you can check out my 'Get the Confidence to Say What You Want' video. www.speakconfidentenglish.com/say-what-you-want-in-english/

[@ErickPadilhadeOliveira]

Very good! Thanks!

[@mehmet.albyrk]

Really helpful to one knowing nothing about English

[@maurogodinez6339]

I love your English classes!! Thank you so much Teacher.

[@Speakconfidentenglish]

You're welcome.

[@kishorwaze5303]

Thank you for the subtle difference explained between the usage of the two phrases.

[@Speakconfidentenglish]

You're very welcome!

[@DennisQuintanilla-o9z]

Great teaching thank you very much ❤

[@Speakconfidentenglish]

You're welcome.

[@ieee801]

Thank you so much!! 😃I have learned something new.

[@Speakconfidentenglish]

You're very welcome! I'm thrilled you've learned something new. 😍

[@aafaqkhan7438]

Excellent tutorial!!

[@Speakconfidentenglish]

I'm glad you like it.

[@joseenriquereinoza9291]

Excellent lesson. I really enjoyed it and learned a lot. Thank you very much teacher.

[@Speakconfidentenglish]

Awesome! I'm happy to know that you learned a lot from the lesson. 😊

[@travelert4427]

Clear& profound presentation that is devoid of complication& obsuritty. Your smart explanation resembles the the flowing serene river. Fragrance- immersed compliments

[@japariciobenito]

Thank you very much. You're very beautiful, but more marvelous as a teacher

[@nikovald]

Great lesson. Thanks.

[@Speakconfidentenglish]

You're welcome. I'm glad you found it helpful!

[@jownader]

Absolutely crystal clear, thank you so much.

[@Speakconfidentenglish]

You're very welcome!

[@quiqueberro-garcia2445]

Hi Annemarie,I hope you're well...thanks a lot ! ..very interesting lesson, and also very helpful for someone like myself who never learnt english Grammar. I'm from South America,and I lived in London 5 years,and now,many years later, I regret I didn't study the language while being there. Have a nice week !

[@Speakconfidentenglish]

Thanks for the kind note! I'm glad you've found this interesting and thankfully it's never too late to learn! 😊

[@mellory515]

Excellent tutorial, thanks 👍I hope for more

[@Speakconfidentenglish]

I'm glad you liked it!

[@rayanalam5344]

Thanks ma'am for helping us in learning English

[@Speakconfidentenglish]

It's my pleasure. 😀

[@sidharthmandal4601]

Thanks miss Annemarie for this great lesson. It was by this lesson I learnt lot of new things that I didn't know ahead of this lesson.❤

[@Speakconfidentenglish]

Wonderful!! You're so welcome.

[@girigiri2167]

Excellent learning ❤ TQ

[@atenazobeidi6485]

Fantastic explanation ❤❤

[@Speakconfidentenglish]

Thank you, I appreciate the kind comment.

[@saschajohn176]

definitely very useful and a great video. 👌🏽

[@hazim1974]

Thank you, you make it crystal clear

[@TnT-jd3hs]

Thank you for the explanation. ❤

[@Speakconfidentenglish]

You’re welcome. 😊

[@WID00761]

Wow I understood it perfectly, thank you

[@alejandrojara2024]

Thanks you so much for this amazing lesson.

[@Speakconfidentenglish]

You're very welcome!

[@MustaphaJebbar-vi3pu]

Hi ,i love your way and your style of giving lessons...

[@manoelgomes9319]

Thanks Annemarie, great lesson

[@Speakconfidentenglish]

I'm glad you like it.

[@Finn_bekind]

Excellent! Thank you so much

[@Speakconfidentenglish]

Glad it was helpful!

[@kotnilaila2443]

A good lesson, thank you.

[@Speakconfidentenglish]

You're welcome.

[@manahelalassaf]

Very clear and useful Thank you 🙏

[@Speakconfidentenglish]

You are welcome. I'm glad it was helpful.

[@oficinaseguridadupschile6373]

I prefered your class rathen than watch a chilean movie. And I decided to be watching your incredible explanation instead of going out to the cinema

[@Speakconfidentenglish]

Thank you for sharing your practice.

[@reinisbrics1]

Thank you!

[@Speakconfidentenglish]

You're welcome.

[@venureddy5050]

Good explanation

[@Ewvo17]

Hi Miss! I wanted to say that i am not that good at grammar even tho i was taking it since elementary school, but i still talking in English without using it all the time, i am talking in English as it my native language and my native language doesn't need grammar 😭 so iam doing it too w English but i am afraid if have to take an exam and it depends on the grammar :( i hope u have an advice for me even i can improve it

[@Ewvo17]

Also i listened to this audio that u were talking about how to get confidence to speak in English, i am good at writing and memorizing words and also talking but i don't have that ability to talk in front of people :( evert time i do this i feel embarrassed as if i will do a mistake or something like this, i fed up of that and i feel i can't improve my communication skills ☹️

[@Ewvo17]

Every time i decide to go to an interview i feel so embarrassed of thinking what if they wanna me to say something and what if i had to think what i have to say it's a big problem i can't deal with 😭

[@Speakconfidentenglish]

Thanks for the notes and kind comments. Like every aspect of language, mastering grammar comes from focused learning and consistent practice. It's important to have input or feedback too, whether it's from the results of a quiz/test or someone you're speaking with. But don't give up. It's absolutely possible to make progress.

[@abdulkabia8486]

Thanks a lot for boosting our mastery of English. please make a video on reported speech with all time expressions. If someone said something in the past and it has not happened yet should we use is or was❤

[@Speakconfidentenglish]

You're welcome. This is a great suggestion for a future lesson! Thank you.

[@youthwave]

Speak confident English or Speak English confidently? A person may be confident but not a language or any other thing. He is confident of his command over English.

[@ff-mw8hu]

❤

[@meriemabbou2636]

I have the same question

[@harikrishnan2713]

You could say it figuratively, I guess.

[@astralspeck]

Good question... That makes me wonder whether the English is confident or the person?

[@godtheonlyguide]

I am not a good English speaker but speaking “confident English” or the “correct English words” is better than speaking English “confidently” because even if being confident, you can still make mistakes and that’s what happened when people used “rather than“, “instead of “ , they were confident but it wasn’t a confident English. I guess.

[@balsonnaoshekpam6240]

Perfect Teaching

[@Speakconfidentenglish]

Thank you! 😃

[@brsaravia]

Your video is Very useful, Thank you AnneMarie, best regards

[@Speakconfidentenglish]

You're welcome. I'm glad the lesson is useful.

[@claryt375]

@@Speakconfidentenglish hi! is it correct to use words such as ''this'' and ''that'' after ''instead of'?

[@Speakconfidentenglish]

Could you provide an example of what you're thinking about?

[@claryt375]

@@Speakconfidentenglish Sure... let's say, ''the doctor told me to stay home and relax but instead of this I went for a walk"

[@EnglishAnahit]

Awesome 👏👏👏👍👍👍

[@sumanSubedi-e1y]

God bless you maam❤❤❤

[@mehdismaeili3743]

Excellent.

[@SamNEWYORK]

Thanks it was so helpful. ❤

[@Speakconfidentenglish]

You're welcome. I'm glad the lesson was helpful.

[@HojatallahSafaee]

Informative 🎉

[@tonyfong2330]

❤❤❤👏👏👏👍👍👍 Thank you. Now, I am very clear.🙏🙏🙏

[@Speakconfidentenglish]

I'm glad the lesson was clear. Thank you for watching.

[@chandankumarprasad2138]

Awesome

[@patytourguide5338]

A tricky difference that is really well explained. I´m feeling ready to master it rather than avoid it. I will explore it instead of jumping on it. Am I right?

[@Speakconfidentenglish]

Perfectly done, Paty! 🙌

[@JamilSiddiqi-mo9ue]

Thanks

[@jillmiller4526]

I prefer to watch your great videos rather than play video games. Thank you!

[@Speakconfidentenglish]

That's wonderful to hear! 😊

[@VictorSambuaga]

The other way of making a sentence using ."... rather than ...." is "rather .... than ....". For example: "I like to swim rather than dive." The other way to say it: "I'd rather swim than dive." Nevertheless, in one of the songs by Rod Steward, the lyric is: "I'd rather go blind than TO see you walk away." Is it an exception or grammatically correct? Than you

[@samiskand208]

Nice!

[@Lukelanguagetraining]

Hi Annemarie, nice thorough explanation! As a vocab specialist rather than grammarian, just wondering about the sentence at 10:31 "He chose to study instead of going out to a party.". You haven't put "(noun)" next to the sentence, like "(verb)" in the sentence above. While 'going out' is clearly a gerund, how would we parse "chose to study"? I know 'choose to + do something' is a phrase, but it doesn't seem to be a noun phrase. In terms of our parallel structure, could you shed any light on this? Thanks!!

[@Speakconfidentenglish]

Thank you for the question. If I understand it correct, the key to getting this right is using a noun after the preposition 'instead of.' This can be in a sentence with parallel structure, such as 'I drink coffee instead of tea in the morning.' Or it can be using a gerund as in the example at 10:31. Although it is not parallel structure, it is grammatically correct and widely used.

[@Lukelanguagetraining]

@@Speakconfidentenglish Sure, it's the gerund/verb thing I have an issue with. When we use "-ing", it's clearly a noun phrase, but "Subject+ bare verb"' isn't. Anyway, thanks for getting back to me with that. As I say, grammar's a bit of an Achille's heal for me, and I always end up going down a rabbit hole! Stick to vocab teaching, I guess!! :)

[@MDAbbas-it8yk]

Thanks a bunch ❤

[@Speakconfidentenglish]

You're welcome 😊

[@PauloAndtade]

That's like a well played instrument.

[@eugenewhiting8928]

Hi Annemarie! Great video that you produced! 👍 One thing that confuses me is that I`ve always said: "I prefer coffee to tea in the morning" Here is no place for "rather than". Am I correct? Thank you!🤔❣❣❣

[@Speakconfidentenglish]

Thanks for the question. You could certainly use 'I prefer coffee to tea.' This lesson focused exclusively on 'rather than' and 'instead of.' However, the sentence you shared works as well to indicate your general, overall preference.

[@ameerahmed6623]

0:11 should it be "instead of taking"

[@Speakconfidentenglish]

Bravo!

[@claryt375]

yeah, first thing I thought, and I imagined it was going to be later in the video

[@farzadamirhosseini5100]

Thank you

[@Speakconfidentenglish]

You're welcome.

[@alwinteron9949]

Prefers is always followed by the preposition 'to'.

[@ВикторияПастух-м8л]

I like your videos so much) ❤

[@Speakconfidentenglish]

Thank you for watching.

[@astralspeck]

My takeaway is ' no matter how many grammatical jargons you have researched on , you woold still make errors in your speech and that its perfectly ok to make those mistakes'. Because what matters more is that the message should be understood accurately by the listener....

[@mbayangndiaye8430]

Hi Anne Marie. Intressting

[@NimcoMahamed-tq5tm]

First comment hi everyone ❤

[@elielson6094]

Last here

[@Maria-Bernadette_3725]

Hello from Japan. :)

[@paolasiri7397]

Thanks! very clear and helps us to refresh some basic vocabulary, that sometime we forget it and start feeling as you said, a little off speaking in English 🙂

[@Speakconfidentenglish]

Glad it was helpful!

[@fredylopez2477]

I'd say that the second sentence is incorrect, the correct expression is; "She decided to walk instead of TAKING the bus." (not take)

[@osamashaaban9748]

Thanks a lot! 01.06.23

[@IgnacioBenavides-b7l]

"I enjoy swimming instead of running", to me is expressing preference, not substitution.

[@claryt375]

yeah, I don't think we should use ''enjoy'' here

[@aram5642]

I heard him saying/say? I saw him biking/bike? I watched him struggle/struggling? Never sure when gerund is correct and when not...

[@Speakconfidentenglish]

Hey! Good news, I have a new lesson coming this week on gerunds vs. infinitives! Watch for it coming up next.

[@shyft09]

3:53 this preference difference seems really weak, you have an almost identical example using "rather than" at 3:13 🤔

[@polyvg]

Go back to writing "in stead of" as used to be done. On top of that, "instead of take" is a clumsy construction. I'd tend to say or write "instead of taking". In the next example, I'd write "I'd prefer coffee to tea in the morning." rather than "I'd prefer coffee rather than tea in the morning."

[@Speakconfidentenglish]

Thanks for your comment. Indeed, to say "instead of take" is inaccurate. This gets highlighted in the lesson as a common error and, as you indicated, the way to fix it is with the gerund form.

[@adalbertorico8301]

How about any vs, whatever?

[@Speakconfidentenglish]

Great suggestion for a future lesson! Thank you.

[@claryt375]

Hi! I really liked the whole explanation, but I'd say that the 2 sentences in the beginning of the video are incorrect. The second for the obvious reason, you used "take'' instead of ''taking'' after ''instead of'', the grammar is a problem here. But in my view, and according to what you said, the 1st one is also wrong, because ''rather than'' would express a general preference, and it seems to me that the verb ''decide'' shouldn't be used like that... I've always used ''decide'' with instead of, I feel it sounds much better (let's say, in this situation 'she usually takes the bus'', but there was a day she felt like walking so she replaced her regular activity, ''she choose to walk'' instead, does it make sense?)

[@Speakconfidentenglish]

Hi there, thank you for the note. In the first two example sentences shared, I also share that "In colloquial (or informal) daily English conversation, you’ll hear both. And most of the time, no one will hear or notice a difference." The purpose for sharing the first two examples is to support that point. However, it's also possible for some interchangeability between the two. Perhaps the general preference is to walk but a substitution was made for some reason. I hope this helps.

[@claryt375]

@@Speakconfidentenglish it does, thank you!

[@shyft09]

9:25 so this is the actual difference

[@ngocliennhu1642]

Do we need to ensure parallelism when use instead of?

[@Speakconfidentenglish]

Thanks for the question. We do maintain parallelism using nouns, as in: I drink *coffee* instead of *tea* in the morning. However, when a verb is used before 'instead of', then we must use the gerund form after, as in: She decided *to walk* instead of *taking* the bus.

[@rockman9508]

Prefer doing smth to doing smth Prefer to do smth rather than do smth

[@MrRosebeing]

The second sentence if written correctly would have stated "She decided to walk instead of TAKING the bus". English speaker with over forty years experience. If you're outside the US and you visit the UK the phrase "She decided to walk instead of take the bus" will sound very odd to locals.

[@Speakconfidentenglish]

Hi there, that's correct. The reason for sharing the example is to highlight that some people will say it this way (it's a common error) however it is not an accurate way to say the sentence. As you indicated, we need to use gerund form.

[@MannyEspinola-q4t]

I'm the only one I know so far who insists on using DIFFERENT FROM instead of DIFFERENT THAN. Apples are different from oranges. But ten apples are heavier THAN one orange. Qualitative and quantitative. Why am I alone in this?

[@claryt375]

you're not alone, I totally agree!

[@nuruzzaman33]

But I've a bit of confusion... Will, rather than ' be followed verb +ing?

[@mythai05]

Not always. Compare: Rather than taking the bus, he decided to walk. Rather than take the bus, he decided to walk. Both are correct.

[@tashcheung4086]

I hold your videos in high regard and have, in fact, on considerably more than one occasion, sent them to students to watch. However, I do take issue with the way that you present your analysis as fact. I have been teaching English as a foreign language for over thirty years, and, as a Brit, have always taken pains to delineate, as far as I am able, the difference between American and British English WHEN THE GRAMMAR OR VOCABULARY COULD LEAD TO MISUNDERSTANDING. I put the case of exams in the same box as, obviously, it could have undesirable consequences. 'Rather than' does not have the same use in British English s American English and, indeed cannot (correctly) be used in the present simple to express preference. We use 'to' + noun or gerund ; I prefer X TO Y We do, however, use a construction similar to American English with the hypothetical; I'd prefer to + infinitive RATHER THAN + bare infinitive (' to' elided) This is, by no means, the only example of this presentation of a grammatical or vocabulary point as the 'correct' one that I have come across in your videos. I realise that far more people speak American English than British English and that, as a rule, American English is more useful for non-native speakers. Nonetheless, it is not the hard and fast way to speak English and therefore, I think, shouldn't be presented as such. Terribly sorry to have written this in a public chat, but I couldn't see any other way of contacting you. As I said, I do like your videos, have passed them on and will continue to pass them on. Thank you for helping our students.

[@Speakconfidentenglish]

Thank you for the constructive feedback.

[@KenFullman]

Rather than use "rather", you can use "instead" instead.

[@ahmedadamflowahmedadam1610]

❤❤❤❤

[@ahmedadamflowahmedadam1610]

❤❤❤❤❤😊

[@abdelmajidmajid2114]

❤

[@dspeerelec643]

Twelve minutes, limited content

[@ZalmirSilvinoCubas]

🙏😃👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼🇧🇷

[@marthaakawu8974]

What's the difference between: I prefer coffee to tea. And I prefer coffee rather tea.

[@Speakconfidentenglish]

Hi there. First, a quick note: in the second sentence, we have to use 'rather than' --> I prefer coffee rather than tea. Second, there is no difference in meaning between the two sentences. Both can be used.

[@МарияЙорданова-ь2п]

instead of taking the bus

[@rajagopalan8798]

Can "prefer " be combined with " rather than". I think No. Only "prefer to" can be combined with "rather than". Example: I prefer to drink coffee rather than Tea. Or I would prefer to drink coffee rather than tea (specific occasion) If I am wrong please correct me

[@Speakconfidentenglish]

We could certainly say, "I prefer coffee rather than tea."

[@KhurramAbbasi-sq9uq]

Hi