Rather
Comparative preference
Prefer X to Y
| WOULD PREFER TO | WOULD PREFER…RATHER THAN | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
We express preference with would prefer X to Y. Parallel (syntactically alike) wording is used. |
Speakers tend to switch from prefer X to Y to prefer X rather than Y when the options consist of infinitives or that-clauses. (MWDEU 760) |
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SUBJ + VERB I would prefer |
OPTION 1 walking |
OPTION 2 to driving (gerunds) |
SUBJ + VERB I would prefer |
OPTION 1 to walk |
OPTION 2 to to drive (Reword it with rather than.) |
I would prefer |
tea |
to coffee (nouns) |
I would prefer |
to walk |
rather than to drive. |
I would prefer |
red |
to blue. (nouns) |
I would prefer |
that we walk |
to that we drive. |
I would prefer |
going in the morning |
to (going) in the evening (gerund clause) |
I would prefer |
that we walk |
rather than (that we) drive. |
I would prefer |
outside the restaurant |
to inside the restaurant (prep. phrase) |
I would prefer |
to be done |
rather than to be working. |
Would rather X than Y
| WOULD you RATHER X OR Y | WOULD RATHER X THAN Y | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
We use would you rather X or Y? to ask preference between two items. Parallel (syntactically alike) wording is used before and after to. (Or functions as a conjunction.) |
Would rather than also coordinates two options phrased with parallel wording. (When parallel phrasing is used than is more conjunction. When non parallel phrasing is used than is more preposition.) |
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AUX + SUBJ Would you |
OPTION 1 rather drive |
OPTION 2 or walk? (parallel adjectives) |
SUBJ + AUX I would |
OPTION 1 rather drive |
OPTION 2 than walk. |
Would you |
rather leave at 8:00 |
or wait until 9:00? |
I would |
rather leave at 9:00 |
than 8:00. |
Would you |
rather that I call you |
or that you call me? |
I would |
rather (that) I call you |
than (that) you call me.. |
Also see Would
Comparatives Than vs. Rather than
| THAN — AUXILIARY COMPLEMENT | RATHER THAN — NONFINITE COMPLEMENT |
|---|---|
After the comparative use of than we use the auxiliary verb. |
After the comparative use of rather than we use a nonfinite verb form (a "secondary" verb form that is not marked with tense.) |
SIMPLE COMPARATIVE – keeps auxiliary after than (parr all el reduced clause) He dislikes traffic more than you do. |
MODAL TENSE – keeps nonfinite verb after than He will "thumb" a ride rather than [he will] pay the bus fare. (thumb – hitchhike) [X and not Y] |
He feels pain more intensely than everyone else does. (verb remains from a reduced clause) |
He'd rather leave at 4 a.m. than [he would ] get stuck in traffic. (stuck – not moving) [X to avoid Y] |
Rather than
Expressing preference or avoidance
Rather than — preference vs. avoidance
| #1 RATHER THAN — X NOT Y "In preference to" | #2 RATHER THAN — choosing X to avoid Y | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
We use rather than to show comparative preference for the first of two paired elements: adjectives, adverbs, infinitives & gerunds clauses, prepositional phrases and verbs. Rather than coordinates syntactically alike items. The meaning is X (and) not Y (conjunction) "in stead of". . The passive voice can be formed in these sentences.(CaGEL not in coordination 811, rather, 1128) |
Rather than also functions as an adverb with a comparative meaning "taking the contrary choice as the preferred one", perhaps, as a judgment of what is right or logical. This particular use of rather than is commonly followed by a bare infinitive (base verb form) . The verb of the main clause is in present, past , or a modal verb from. The passive voice cannot be formed in these sentences. |
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CLAUSE Ed wanted less |
COORDINATOR rather than |
COORDINATED CLAUSE more homework. (parallel adjectives) |
CLAUSE – OPTION 1 Ed went to jail |
ADVERB + PREP rather than |
CLAUSE pay his parking fines. |
Ed worked carelessly |
rather than |
carefully on his projects. (parallel adverbs) |
Ed will go to court |
rather than |
pay his parking fines. |
Ed wanted success |
rather than |
failure. (parallel nouns) |
Ed would eat nails |
rather than |
pay his parking tickets. |
Ed kept |
rather than |
told his secrets. (verbs) |
Ed preferred to go to jail |
rather than |
pay an unfair parking fine. |
Ed walked |
rather than |
ran. (verbs) |
Ed contests a ticket in court |
rather than |
just *pay / paying it. (ex. 3rd per.) |
Ed enjoys walking for relaxation |
rather than |
running. (gerund – nonfinite clause) |
Ed has been making excuses |
rather than |
*do / doing his homework (ex. progressive) |
Ed prefers to walk |
rather than |
run. (infinitive – nonfinite clause) |
Ed is making excuses |
rather than |
*do / doing his homework (ex. progressive) |
Less |
rather than |
more homework was wanted by Ed. (passive is possible) |
Excuses were made up |
rather than |
*home work done (no passive possible) |
*Note that 3rd-person, present tense sounds awkward with the bare infinitive verb form, so speakers often switch to a gerund.
contest (v.) – oppose something (an action, decision, or theory) as mistaken or wrong
(2) Merriam Webster Dictionary expresses the meaning as " indicate negation as a contrary choice or wish".
(2) Huddleston expresses the meaning as "taking the contrary choice as the preferred one" (GGEL rather, 1128; expressions based on comparison, 1317)
Rather than Verb Complements
| #1 RATHER THAN — X NOT Y | #2 RATHER THAN — CHOOSING X TO AVOID Y | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rather than (X not Y) occurs in a clause after various tenses. The verb after rather than has a parallel verb form |
Rather than (X to avoid Y) than is a preposition with a clause as its complement. The clause usually has a base verb form (bare infinitive), but may also have a gerund as will be discussed in the next section. |
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SUBJECT Ed |
VERB walks (present)
|
COORDINATOR rather than |
PARALLEL VERB FORM drives to work. (present) |
SUBJECT Ed |
VERB prefers to bike |
ADVERB + PREP rather than |
CLAUSE: BARE-FORM VERB waste time waiting for buses. |
Ed |
walked (past) |
rather than |
drove to work. (past) |
Ed |
bikes to work |
rather than |
%waste / wasting time waiting for buses. |
Ed |
will walk |
rather than |
drive to work. (bare form) |
Ed |
will take a pay cut |
rather than |
lay off any coworkers. |
Ed |
is walking |
rather than |
driving to work. (gerund) |
He |
will ride his bike |
rather than |
get caught in traffic. |
Eddie Jr. |
was walked |
rather than |
driven to school. (passive + participle) |
Ed |
went to jail |
rather than |
pay his parking fines. |
|
Ed |
sped down the freeway |
rather than |
miss his meeting |
|||
%Some speakers use the bare form, other speakers use a gerund with 3rd person sing., present tense.
Also see nonfinite
Rather than
Using bare infinitive vs. gerund
(Advanced)
Adjunct Clause —bare infinitive vs. gerund
| ADJUNCT CLAUSE WITH BARE INFINITIVE | ADJUNCT CLAUSE WITH GERUND |
|---|---|
When a rather than clause begins a sentence, the verb form can be the base verb form (bare infinitival) or the gerund verb form. The choice depends on 1) whether the sentence is worded in a parallel manner, and 2) whether parallel wording of the verb phrase in the sentence will allow it. |
When rather than coordinates elements that are not syntactically alike (unparallel), or the verb of the main clause is a past or progressive form, we tend to switch to the gerund form after rather than. |
PARALLEL WORDING – syntactically alike Rather than take the bus, we drive our car to work. (parallel → bare infinitive is preferred) |
UNPARALLEL WORDING – not syntactically alike Rather than *take/ taking the bus to work, we much prefer to drive when we can. (unparallel → gerund) |
Rather than take stock, they went on without a plan.
|
Rather than taking stock, they continued to spend and spend until there was nothing left. |
MODALS, PRESENT TENSE Rather than take the bus, Ed will/ could/ should/ walk to work. (modal) |
PROGRESSIVE VERB FORMS Rather than taking the bus, Ed will be walking to work. |
Rather than take the bus, Ed walks to work. (present habit) |
Rather than taking the bus, Ed is walking to work.
|
Rather than %take/ taking the bus, Ed walked. (% past tense) % some people use the bare infinitive and others use a gerund |
Rather than taking the bus, Ed was walking to work.
|
*bare infinitive – the infinitive verb form without to
take stock – to take inventory (evaluate supplies); make sure of the facts in regard to something
Implied Meaning — bare infinitive vs. gerund
| #2 RATHER THAN ( X to avoid Y) — SUBJECTIVE | #2 RATHER THAN (X to avoid Y) — OBJECTIVE |
|---|---|
When using the bare infinitive after rather than, one interprets the meaning as "the speaker includes his/her evaluation of truth, what is right, what is logical", The person is "taking the contrary choice as the preferred one" — a judgment of what is right or logical. In this sense, the use of the bare infinitive after rather than occurs when the main verb is a modal (will, would), present or past tense. |
When using a gerund after rather than, the effect is more descriptive. Speakers are more likely to use a gerund after rather than when the main verb is progressive or present perfect tense. Perhaps, the focus on the aspect of the verb takes focus away from the modality of the verb. |
BARE INFINITIVE — TAKES A STAND IN THE JUDGMENT OF TRUTH, RIGHT OR WHAT IS LOGICAL They will go on strike rather than accept what management offers them. |
GERUND — DESCRIPTIVE OF ACTIVITY WITH MORE FOCUS ON ASPECT RATHER THAN MODALITY They are going on strike rather than *accept / accepting what management offered them. |
He went to jail rather than pay his parking tickets. |
He was going to jail rather than *pay / paying his parking fines. (description of a habitual action) |
He made excuses rather than do his homework. |
He has been making excuses rather than *do / doing his homework. (description of a habitual action) |
We reason with him rather than get angry with him.
|
We reason with him rather than get/ getting angry with him. |
modality – the speaker's attitude, opinion or evaluation of the activity; also see alethic modality
aspect – indicates information, such as duration, completion, or frequency, as it relates to the time of action
Common Mistakes — arguments (issues) to consider
| PROBLEM | FIX |
|---|---|
FORMALITY We took a taxi rather than getting lost. (informal - but not incorrect) |
We took a taxi rather than get lost on foot. |
BARE INFINITIVE We decided to take a map with us rather than to get lost.
|
We decided to take a map with us rather than [to] get lost. |
AWKWARD TENSE USE Rather than get lost, we are taking a map with us. (awkward wording – tense use) |
Rather than get lost, we'll take a map with us. (Use a modal or present tense.) |
Rather than get lost, we have taken a map with us. (awkward wording – tense use) |
Rather than get lost, we take a map with us. (Use present – habitual.) |
PLACEMENT OF "RATHER THAN" *He rather went to jail than pay his fines. (awkward wording – placement) |
He went to jail rather than pay his fines. (Place rather than after the first verb phrase if coordinating two verb phrases.)
|
"RATHER THAN" WITH 3RD PERSON-PRESENT TENSE He asks for what he wants rather than get / getting upset. 3rd person – rather than ( X to avoid Y)
|
He asks for what he wants rather than getting upset. (While the bare infinitive may be considered more formal by some, other speakers use the -ing form here. Note that the bare infinitives seems to sound better in coordination with modal, present and sometimes past tense verbs.) |
"RATHER THAN" IN A COMPARATIVE SENTENCE The group is more active in pursuing their own interests rather than the interests of the country.
|
The group is more active in pursuing their own interests than the interests of the country. |
PARALLEL WORDING The security of the company and its assets rather than individual security has priority. (parallel / unparallel wording)
|
The company security rather than individual security has priority. or (Sometimes a sentence can be reworded to have parallel phrasing or "equal weight". Typically, we tend to put "wordier" information at the end of the sentence. If rewording is not possible, use rather than in an adjunct clause, so that the wordier clause can be placed after it.)
|
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Grammar Notes
Tradtional vs. Current
| TRADITIONAL GRAMMAR | CURRENT GRAMMAR |
|---|---|
In traditional grammar, than is a conjunction used in comparatives with adjectives and adverbs. Than introduces the comparative clause. HIstorically, "rath" meant "soon" (adv.) – I'd sooner / rather have this than that. The expresson rather than coordinates two syntactically alike items in a statement of comparison. |
In linugistic description, rather than (X to avoid Y) than is a preposition with a clause as its complement. The clause usually has a base verb form (bare infinitive), but may also have a gerund verb form. |
(X not Y) He took the laptop rather than the iPad. an adverb and a conjunction that forms a comparative expression |
(X not Y) He took the laptop rather than the iPad. a coordinator used in a comparative expression with a parallel complement type
|
X to avoid Y He makes excuses rather than admit he is wrong. |
X to avoid Y He makes excuses rather than admit / admitting he is wrong. preposition followed by a gerund phrase) Rather than admitting he is wrong, he makes excuses.
|
Than is a preposition (not an adverb) that accepts a wide range of complements. (A number of words that were previously analyzed as adverbs are now analyzed as prepositions.) (CaGEL 612)
Clause; Subject / Predicate; Finite / Nonfinite; NP –noun phrase; N – noun; VP – verb phrase; V – verb; Comp – complement; Coord – coordinator; Det – determiner; PP – prepositional phrase; P – preposition; Sub – Subordinator
Complement Types of Prepositions: "instead of" and "rather than:
| INSTEAD OF | COMPLEMENT TYPE | RATHER THAN |
|---|---|---|
He took the laptop instead of the iPad. |
NP (noun phrase) |
He took the laptop rather than the iPad. |
I'll go instead of you. |
noun |
I'll go rather than you. |
We'll go now instead of in the morning. |
PP |
We'll go nowrather than in the morning. |
I felt humiliated instead of proud of my self. |
AdjP |
I felt humiliated rather than proud of my self. |
He spoke timidly instead of competently. |
AdvjP |
He spoke timidly rather than competently. |
We want them to be bold instead of be cautious. |
bare infinitival |
*We want them to be bold rather than be cautious. |
*It's better to continue instead of (to) wait. |
infinitival |
It's better to continue rather than (to) wait. |
We prefer moving on instead of waiting. |
gerund-participle |
We prefer moving on rather than waiting. |
He said that "it" was regretful instead of that he was sorry. |
declarative clause |
He said that "it" was regretful rather than that he was sorry. |
They told me I had tried hard instead of whether I had succeeded. |
closed interrogative |
They told me I had tried hard rather than whether I had succeeded. |
They told me where I had to go instead of when I had to go. |
open interrogative |
They told me where I had to go rather thanwhen I had to go. |
He asked that they be heard instead of that they be sent away. |
subjunctive clause |
He asked that they be heard rather than that they be sent away. |
"The prototypical PP has the form of a preposition as head and a NP as complement… Prepositions allow a wide range of complement type." (CaGEL 642)
Notable Comments
Rather "contains the comparative suffix -er but the original base rather (meaning "soon") has been lost, so that rather is no longer analysable as an inflectional comparative. It nevertheless retains clear semantic and syntactic affinities with ordinary comparative constructions." (CaGEL 1128)
Rather than – I'd rather resign than accept such humiliation. "Here it is an adverb with a comparative meaning: approximately "more readily, in preference to". There are also uses where this meaning is largely or wholly lost — a change facilitated by the fact that the morphological base rath- no longer occurs without the -er suffix." (CaGEL 1317)
Than — " The most usual position for the comparative is at the end of the clause containing the comparative phrase…" (1106); "Bob is more generous than Liz" — Liz can be regarded as a "reduced clause" or as an "immediate complement NP" (CaGEL 1113)
Conjunction or Preposition "The question that puzzled Fowler was whether rather than always operated as a conjunction and thus had the same construction before as it had after, or whether it could also operate as a preposition and so connect dissimilar constructions…. We will simply point that rather than does function like a preposition.
'Rather than argue for the overthrow of the entire system, the Colonists realized...that the basic values of British law were still valid. — Daniel Sisson.
But when parallel constructions appear on each side of rather than, it is functioning like a conjunction:
" ...implicating them, this time subtly rather than powerfully — J. I. M.Stewart"
(MWDEU 797)
"Than is both a conjunction and a preposition…. In current usage than is more often a conjunction than a preposition... me after the preposition is more common in speech than in edited prose." (MWDEU 892)
Resources
"Rather." Fowler's Modern English Usage. Ed. R. W. Burchfield. Rev. 3rd ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004. Print.
Huddleston, Rodney and Geoffrey K. Pullum. "Rather." The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language (CaGEL). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2002. Print. (1128, 1317)
"Rather than." Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of English Usage (MWDEU). Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, 1994.Print. (760, 797; indirect and matrix-licensed non-finite complements 1262; )
Swan, Michael."Rather than." Practical English Usage. 4th ed. 2009: Oxford University Press. Print. (491.1-4)
Practice 1
A woman offering food samples at a tasting table
Supermarket Grazing
Complete the sentence
- Select the word from the list that best completes the sentence.
- Compare your response to the answer on the right.
Weinberg, Gary. "The Definitive Guide for Food Grazing (for free) at Costco." 26 Mar 2010. Web. http://goodgreasyeats.com/2010/03/26/special-report-eat-free-costco/
Practice 2
Random Lines
Correct (formal) / Incorrect (informal use)
- Select the option(s).
- Read the feedback.