structure · neutral
instead of + V-ing
Band 7+speakingtask2
used to say that one thing is done as an alternative to another
Examples
“Instead of complaining, she spent the afternoon fixing the problem.”
“Many people cycle to work instead of driving.”
“Students should discuss solutions instead of just pointing out problems.”
Band 8 sentence
“Young people today often spend time learning digital skills instead of relying solely on traditional qualifications.”
Collocations
- do X instead of doing Y
- have A instead of B
Word family
instead advrather than conjunction/phrase
Common mistakes
instead to + V→instead of + V-ing
instead of + to V→instead of + V-ing
Say it for a higher band
5instead to do→6instead of to do→7+instead of + V-ing
Synonyms
rather than
in place of
Easily confused
rather than
“She chose to study medicine rather than law.”
Related words
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In Gerunds & infinitives
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