RAT H E

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/es/gramatica/gramatica-
britanica/rather

R
 We use rather as a degree adverb (rather cold, rather nice). We
also use it to express alternatives and preferences (green rather
than blue, coffee rather than tea, slowly rather than quickly).

We use rather to give emphasis to an

adjective or adverb. It has a similar meaning
to quite when quite is used with gradable
RATHER AS A DEGREE words. It is more formal than quite. We
ADVERB often use it to express something unexpected
or surprising

A:You’re not just wasting your time

here, are you?
B:No, I’m rather busy, in fact.

They walked rather slowly.

I’m afraid I behaved rather badly.
 RATHER WITH ADJECTIVE +
NOUN
With a/an we usually use rather a/an + adjective + noun,
but we can also use a rather + adjective + noun. With other
determiners (some, those) we use determiner + rather +
adjective + noun:

He helped her out of rather an uncomfortable

We had to wait rather a long time. (or, less situation. (or He helped her out of a rather
common, We had to wait a rather long time.) uncomfortable situation.)

I had some rather bad news today.

Not: I had rather some bad news today.

 Rather a with a noun is more ~It was rather a surprise to
common in formal language than in find them in the house
RATHER A +
informal language, particularly in before me.
NOUN
writing:

~It cost me rather a lot of

We often use rather with a
RATHER A lot to refer to large amounts
money.
LOT and quantities: ~You’ve given me rather a lot

~They went there rather a lot. We also use rather a lot to

~You’ll be seeing rather a lot of me mean ‘often’:
over the next few weeks
 ~I was rather hoping you’d
RATHER + We can use rather to emphasize forgotten about that.
verbs. We use it most commonly with
VERB ~He rather liked the idea of a well-
verbs such as enjoy, hope, like: paid job in Japan.

Quite probably you simply didn’t

We use rather with more and less
RATHER: + an adjective or adverb in
COMPARISON formal writing to make a
comparison with something:
realize that peas and beans and sweet-
corn are such valuable vegetables, and
you will now continue to eat them
rather more frequently because you like
them anyway.

Now that she saw Rupert again, he was rather

less interesting and a little older than she had
remembered him.

We use rather with like to
RATHER refer to similarities. We use
rather like to mean ‘quite
LIKE similar to’:
~They were small animals, rather
like rats.
~I was in the middle. I felt rather
like a referee at a football match
trying to be fair and keep the sides
apart.

RATHER THAN:
ALTERNATIVES AND
PREFERENCES
~He wanted to be an actor rather than
We use rather than to give more importance to
a comedian.
one thing when two alternatives or preferences
are being compared: ~Can we come over on Saturday rather
than Friday?

Rather than usually occurs between two things which are being
compared. However, we can also use it at the beginning of a sentence.
When we use rather than with a verb, we use the base form or (less
commonly) the -ing form of a verb:
 Rather than pay the taxi fare, he walked home. (or
Rather than paying the taxi fare, he walked home.)

Not: Rather than to pay …

We use or rather to correct ourselves:

OR
He commanded and I obeyed, or rather, I pretended to.
RATHER
Thanks to his efforts, or rather the efforts of his employees, they
made a decent profit.
EXERCISES