Sentence Correction

sumithshah wrote:Rather than VS Instead of

Rather than is less restrictive than 'instead of': 'rather than' can be used with just about any part of speech. so, for instance, I can write any of the following:

I chose to forsake my chance to attend law school rather than accrue major debt to enter a career about which I was ambivalent (used with verb)

James differs from many negotiators in that his default attitude toward negotiation is cooperative rather than confrontational (used with adjective)

I chose to rent a compact car rather than a midsize sedan (used with nouns)

Instead of, by contrast, can only be used with nouns, or with constructions that function as nouns (like gerunds and noun phrases).

For sentences in which either of the two constructions is acceptable, our rather extensive research indicates that the GMAT prefers 'rather than' pretty much across the board. So, if you're in doubt, you might want to go with that one.


Rather than - shows preference. This expression is generally used in 'parallel' structures. e.g. - with two nouns, adjectives, adverbs, infinitives or -ing forms.

1). We ought to invest in machinery rather than buildings.
2). I prefer starting early rather than leaving things to the last minute.


Instead of - suggests that one person, thing replaces another.

1). I'll have tea instead of coffee, please.
2). I stayed in bed all day instead of going to work.
3). Amit was invited to the reception, but he was ill, so Akash went instead of him.