rather

The word "rather" is an adverb used when choosing one thing over another. This is a good way to ask about a person’s preference. In this case, "rather" is often used with the word "would."

• What would you rather do, go to the park or go to the beach?
• I’d rather have a salad for dinner tonight instead of a hamburger. (I’d rather = I would rather)
• Sarah would rather own a small car that saves gas over a large car.
• Instead of living in the city, Jerome would rather live in the country.
• I’d rather be fishing. (rather be + a gerund / a noun / adjective)
• I"d rather be playing golf.
• I’d rather be at home right now.
• I’d rather be rich than poor.

He’d rather ride his motorcycle than drive his car.

It’s common to put "rather than" at the beginning of a sentence:

• Rather than complain about how bad this is, why don’t you do something to fix it?
• Rather than do what everyone else is doing, why don’t you do something different?
• Rather than going out tonight, they’re going to stay at home.

You can also use "rather" as a substitute for the adverb "very." This is more popular in British English, but it’s also heard in American English:

• She looks rather pleased with herself.
• This situation is rather difficult.
• That was a rather exciting experience.
• I found that book to be rather boring.

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March 17, 2019