rather than generating

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "rather than generating" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate a preference for one action over another, often in a comparative context. Example: "We should focus on improving existing features rather than generating new ones."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

As such, some of these alleles may generate Mcm2-7 complexes with a specific biochemical defect in a particular step of DNA replication or its regulation rather than generating a generally hypomorphic situation.

BioMed Research International

A general advantage of each of these methods is that rather than generating alignments de novo, they perform profile-based alignments and their complexity scales linearly in time and have a minimal memory footprint.

Plosone

Buying growth from outside, rather than generating it organically, may be the easiest option.

The Economist

They're curators not creators, brilliant at assembling new combinations of songs rather than generating them from scratch.

The New York Times - Arts

He favors bright greens with a straight-from-the-tube look, rather than generating optical mixes of color.

The New York Times - Arts

Toktogul's operators were doing what they had done for decades: hoarding water for summertime farm needs in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, rather than generating power for Kyrgyz homes.

The New York Times

Other lawmakers said they worried that the plan was ill conceived because it would bail out bankers rather than generating new cash to help poor people.

The New York Times

Evidence suggests that rather than generating extra sales, shoppers simply delay spending in October or bring forward planned purchases from December.

The Guardian - Business

And rather than generating $30 million of revenue in the quarter, as it previously announced, NorthPoint said that revenue had actually been $24 million.

The New York Times

Bearish investors like the hedge fund manager William A. Ackman contend that Herbalife acts like a pyramid scheme, dependent on recruiting new members rather than generating new sales.

The New York Times

It also promised $74 billion of capital investment in refining over five years, which seemed aimed at creating jobs rather than generating returns.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "rather than generating" to clearly indicate a preferred course of action or state over the process of generating something, ensuring clarity in comparative contexts. For example, prefer improving existing systems "rather than generating" entirely new ones.

Common error

Avoid using "rather than generating" when a simple "not" or "instead of" would suffice. Overusing the phrase can make your writing sound unnecessarily verbose. Choose simplicity when direct negation is clearer.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "rather than generating" functions as a conjunction phrase that introduces an alternative or preference to a particular action. It serves to contrast one action (generating) with another, as demonstrated by Ludwig AI.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

42%

Science

40%

Formal & Business

18%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "rather than generating" is a versatile conjunction phrase used to express preference or contrast one action with the process of generating something else. As indicated by Ludwig AI, it is grammatically correct and enjoys widespread use across diverse contexts, including news, science, and business. While highly functional, writers should avoid overuse in contexts where simpler alternatives are clearer. Remember to prefer clarity over complexity and utilize this construction to compare and contrast effectively. Alternatives, such as "instead of producing" or "as opposed to generating", can provide variety while retaining similar meaning.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

rather than creating

Substitutes "creating" for "generating", maintaining the contrastive meaning.

instead of producing

Replaces "rather than" with "instead of", emphasizing the substitution of one action for another.

as opposed to generating

Uses "as opposed to" to highlight the contrast between generating and another action.

in place of generating

Focuses on the substitution aspect of the phrase, suggesting that generating is being replaced by something else.

rather than the production of

Uses "production" instead of "generating", shifting from action to the result of the action.

as an alternative to generating

Emphasizes the phrase as presenting a distinct alternative to the act of generating.

instead of the generation of

This alternative uses a noun phrase instead of the gerund "generating".

instead of bringing about

Replaces "generating" with "bringing about", focusing on the action of causing something to exist.

rather than inducing

Substitutes "inducing" for "generating", suggesting a more subtle or indirect form of causation.

rather than prompting

Uses prompting instead of generating

FAQs

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

Use "rather than generating" to express a preference for one action over the process of generating something else. For example, "The focus should be on refining existing data "rather than generating" new data from scratch".

What are some alternatives to "rather than generating"?

You can use phrases like "instead of generating", "as opposed to generating", or "in place of generating". The best choice depends on the specific nuance you want to convey. See also: "instead of producing".

Is it better to use "rather than generating" or "instead of generating"?

Both phrases are grammatically correct and often interchangeable. "Rather than generating" may emphasize a stronger sense of preference, while "instead of generating" simply indicates a substitution. Consider which nuance best fits your intended meaning. For example: I prefer "as opposed to generating".

What is the difference between "rather than generating" and "rather than generate"?

"Rather than generating" uses the gerund form, emphasizing the process, while "rather than generate" uses the base form of the verb, which is grammatically incorrect in this context because the continuous form must be used after "than". It is ungrammatical because the "than" conjunction requires parallel construction, so a gerund must follow.