instead-of

IPA/ɪnˈsted əv/
IPA/ɪnˈsted əv/

instead-of — preposition

1. used when mentioning the person, thing, or action that is replaced by another —

1.介系詞A1
釋義

used when mentioning the person, thing, or action that is replaced by another — for example, choosing tea instead of coffee, or going by bus instead of driving

例句

Vivek followed a map on his phone instead of using a paper one while hiking.

instead of + noun phrase

Instead of watching television, Mira signed up for a cooking class at the community center.

instead of + gerund at sentence start

同義詞
  • in place of

    more formal and slightly less common in everyday speech

  • rather than

    focuses on a preference between two options; can be followed by a bare infinitive

  • as an alternative to

    more formal; often used in business or academic writing

文法句型

instead of + noun/pronoun

instead of + verb-ing

用法筆記

Followed by a noun, pronoun, or gerund (-ing form). Never followed by a bare infinitive (❌ 'instead to do' → ✅ 'instead of doing'). The phrase can appear at the beginning or in the middle of a sentence.

常見錯誤

❌Please go instead stay.
✅Please go instead of staying.
💡'instead of' must be followed by a noun or gerund, not a bare verb.
❌Instead go to the park, we stayed home.
✅Instead of going to the park, we stayed home.
💡When starting a clause, use 'instead of + gerund', not bare 'instead + verb'.
❌He chose fish instead chicken.
✅He chose fish instead of chicken.
💡The preposition 'of' is always required after 'instead'.