rather than用法集锦
一、rather than用作连词，连接两个平行结构。既可以表示主观愿望上的决择，“与其…宁可…”，也可以表示客观程度上的差异，“与其说是…不如说是…”。例如：
1、接代词
1）I,rather than you,should do the work.
该做这工作的是我，而不是你。
2、接名词
2）John ought to go rather than Jean.约翰比琴更应该去。
3）I think I'll have a cold drink rather than coffee.
我想我该要一杯冷饮，而不要咖啡。
试比较：
4）We sometimes eat rice instead of potatoes.
有时候我们不吃土豆，而吃米饭。
3、接形容词
5）These shoes are comfortable rather than for your friend.
这鞋不好看可是舒服。
6）You are doing this for yourself rather than for your friend.
你不是为你朋友，而是为你自己做这种事。
7)I'd prefer to go in August rather than in July.我愿8月去不愿7月去。
5、接动名词
8)I always prefer starting early,rather than leaving everything to the last minute,
我总是愿意早开始而不愿意把所有事情都留到最后才做。
9)He was engaged in writing a letter rather than reading the newspaper.
他那时是在写信而不是看报纸。
6、接过去分词
10)She insisted on having the room papered rather than painted.
她坚持要用纸裱糊房间，而不是把房间粉刷一下。
7、接不定式
11)I decided to write rather than telephone.我决定写信而不是打电话。
12)They prefer to die fighting rather than live in enslavement.
他们宁可战死，也不肯活着受奴役。
13)I prefer to work rather than remain idle.我宁愿工作而不愿闲着。
8、接谓语动词
14)He told a lie rather than get his friend into trouble.
他宁愿说谎也不愿连累朋友。
15)Shall we go for a walk rather than watch television?
咱们不看电视，出去散步，好不好？
16)He ran rather than walked.他跑步而不是步行。
rather than后接动词原形表示主观抉择，接一个动词的过去式则表示客观差异。
9、接从句
17)It was what he meant rather than what he said.
那是指他话中的意思，而不是他所说的话。
18)It was what he had caten rather than what he had drunk that made him ill.使他得病的不是他喝的东西，而是他吃的东西。
二、rather than用作介词
R.Quirk编著的《英语语法大全》p.1387明确指出：和as well as及in stead of一样，rather than后面跟一个和母句中的动词形式并不匹配的ing分词分句时，它是介词，而不是准并列连词：
19）Their actions precipitated the war rather than averting it.
他们的行为促使战争爆发而不是避免战争。
20）Rather than a new car,he bought a colour television.
他买了一台彩电，而不是一辆新车。
21）Let's finish the job today,rather than leaving it till tomorrow.
让咱们今天干完工作，而不是留到明天。
三、rather than用作从属连词，引导一种优选分句。
R.Quirk在《英语语法大全》p.1540指出：优先分句主要用从属连词rather than和sooner than引导，用不带to的不定式作该分句的谓语动词：
22）Rather than go there by air,I'd take the slowest train.
我宁愿乘最慢的火车，也不愿乘飞机去那儿。
[解题过程]
如果在两者中进行取舍，表示“宁愿……而不愿……，与其……宁可……”的意思时，则可用would rather…than…或would…rather than…的句型 .没有什么区别.
例 :
I would rather watch TV at home than go to the cinema. 我宁可在家看电视而不愿去看电影。
The children would walk there rather than take a bus. 孩子们宁愿步行去那里而不愿乘公共汽车。
请注意:
1） would rather…than…/would…rather than…也可以颠倒为：rather than…would…。Would(rather)和than后都接不带to的动词不定式，若选用的动词相同，那么than 后的动词可以省略。
例 I would rather have noodles than rice. 我宁愿吃面条也不吃米饭。
He would rather drink wine than beer． 他喜欢喝红葡萄酒而不喜欢喝啤酒。
Rather than work in such bad condition, he would give up. 与其在这样差的条件下工作，他宁愿放弃。
2)使用would rather…than…句型时要注意“平行结构”，即在than 的前后要用两个同类的词或词组，如两个名词、两个不定式、两个介词短语等。
例 I would rather go to work by bike than by bus. 我宁愿骑自行车也不愿乘公共汽车去上班。
I would rather talk with his mother than with his father. 我宁愿和他妈说话而不愿和他爸说话。
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