rather than establishing

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "rather than establishing" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to contrast two actions or ideas, indicating a preference for one over the other. Example: "The committee decided to focus on improving existing policies rather than establishing new ones."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

44 human-written examples

I'd wager some of the blame rests in basic human nature, and more in our culture, which focuses on fixing illness rather than establishing wellness.

The Guardian - Opinion

People "access the health care system through the emergency department, rather than establishing a relationship with a primary care physician who might keep them from getting sicker".

The New York Times - Health

Experts said that such subsidies risked wasting public money if they merely funded training that employees would be providing anyway, rather than establishing skills that would help workers through their careers.

The Guardian

Rather than establishing an ad hoc international tribunal for his crimes or charging Iraq at the International Court of Justice, Mr. Kristof suggests having a national court indict him under universal jurisdiction for crimes against humanity.

The New York Times

It continued: "Rather than establishing a connect with its people and knowing from them what has gone wrong and how can it be corrected, government, by initiating such actions against people, is only pushing the situation towards worse".

The Guardian - Opinion

It is analogous to a company investing employee pension contributions in its own business rather than establishing a ring-fenced fund with a separate legal personality if the company disappears, so do the employees' pensions.

The Economist

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

15 human-written examples

But the singularity of Regina's feelings undermines, rather than establishes, their consequentiality.

The New York Times - Books

We gathered an initial list of names, purposefully opting for up-and-coming and emerging voices rather than established ones, and hit the go button.

The Guardian - Books

The role has often been assigned to rising rather than established figures; and its occupants have not usually been expected to boast an insider's grasp of finance.

The Economist

The comparison with gigs is far from exact, because with football you are talking about improv rather than established material, but it remains true that all live creative pursuits have the capacity to transcend the actual performance.

The Guardian - Sport

Manchester United confidently expect to begin their summer transfer business by signing Raphaël Varane from Lens in a continuation of their policy to recruit potential stars of the future rather than established category-A players.

The Guardian - Sport

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "rather than establishing" to clearly contrast two actions or states, indicating a preference or substitution of one over the other. Ensure the contrasted elements are parallel in structure for clarity.

Common error

Avoid using "rather than establishing" to contrast elements that are not grammatically parallel. For example, instead of saying "The company focused on cost reduction rather than establishing new markets", ensure both sides of the contrast are in similar forms: "The company focused on cost reduction rather than establishing new marketS".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "rather than establishing" functions as a conjunctive adverbial phrase, connecting two contrasting ideas or actions. It indicates a preference or substitution, as Ludwig AI confirms, making it a valuable tool for expressing alternatives.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

44%

Science

42%

Wiki

8%

Less common in

Formal & Business

4%

Encyclopedias

1%

Reference

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "rather than establishing" serves as a valuable tool for contrasting actions or ideas, indicating a clear preference, and is supported by Ludwig AI. It is grammatically sound and versatile, fitting seamlessly into news, scientific, and formal business contexts. To ensure clarity, maintain parallel structures when contrasting elements. While alternatives like "instead of establishing" exist, "rather than establishing" holds its own as a reliable and widely recognized choice for expressing alternatives in writing. Its prevalence across authoritative sources like The Guardian and The New York Times underscores its importance.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

instead of establishing

Replaces "rather than" with "instead of", maintaining the contrastive meaning.

rather than creating

Replaces "establishing" with the word "creating".

as opposed to establishing

Uses "as opposed to" to indicate a contrast between two actions or states.

rather than building

Replacing the verb with the closest in meaning that is "building".

in lieu of establishing

Employs "in lieu of" to suggest a substitution, maintaining a formal tone.

in place of establishing

Uses "in place of" to indicate a substitution, keeping the meaning intact.

instead of creating

Substitutes "establishing" with "creating" which has a slightly different nuance but similar intent.

instead of building

Similar meaning with a different verb.

as an alternative to establishing

Uses a longer phrase to explicitly state that something is an alternative.

as a substitute for establishing

Expresses substitution with a slightly more formal tone.

FAQs

How can I use "rather than establishing" in a sentence?

Use "rather than establishing" to contrast two actions, prioritizing one over the other. For example, "The team opted for improving existing systems "rather than establishing" new ones from scratch".

What are some alternatives to "rather than establishing"?

Alternatives include "instead of establishing", "as opposed to establishing", or "in lieu of establishing", depending on the desired tone and context.

Is there a difference between "rather than establishing" and "instead of establishing"?

While both phrases convey a similar meaning of preference or substitution, "rather than establishing" might be perceived as slightly more formal compared to "instead of establishing". The choice depends on the context and desired tone.

Can "rather than establishing" be used to contrast nouns instead of actions?

While typically used to contrast actions (verbs or gerunds), "rather than establishing" can also be used to contrast nouns if the sentence structure allows for it. For example, "The focus was on efficiency "rather than establishing" bureaucracy".