rather that it is

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "rather that it is" is not correct in English.
Did you mean "rather than it is"? You can use "rather than it is" when comparing two different states or conditions, indicating a preference for one over the other. Example: "I prefer to focus on the solution rather than it is a problem."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Academia

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

59 human-written examples

Americans believe they have seen the future, or rather that it is spreading its vast networks and entwining them in iron chains everywhere, and prefer nearly any comfort, any illusion, any sedation that tells them it isn't so.

Huffington Post

This is not to say that the movie is bad — as I have suggested, the skill and polish are hard to dispute — but rather that it is, for all its bravado, timid and conventional.

The New York Times

This is not to say that Wolfram Alpha IS a cellular automata itself — but rather that it is similarly based on fundamental rules and data that are recombined to form highly sophisticated structures.

TechCrunch

Which is not to say that the movie is obnoxiously self-referential, but rather that it is comfortable with itself and confident in its ability to amuse and beguile young viewers.

The New York Times

As the use of the term legitimate underlines, this concept does not imply that the state is the only actor actually using violence but rather that it is the only actor that can legitimately authorize its use.

Encyclopedia Britannica

It is rather that it is not easy to settle on how to take Moynihan seriously.

The New York Times - Magazine

I found that the value isn't just that it is an MBA, but rather that it is an MIT MBA.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Jeremiah, I don't think the author is suggesting that TRF in the later hours of the day is bad, but rather that it is DIFFICULT.

Harvard University

In this report we show that moesin is not randomly distributed throughout the cortical cytoskeleton, but rather that it is concentrated in specialized microdomains.

Stanford University

Second, it says they managed to multiply 1000 times the 3D resolution, not a single dimension, what means rather that it is multiplied 10 times per dimension.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

1 human-written examples

The news isn't really the imminence of its arrival, but rather that it's arriving at all.

TechCrunch

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When aiming to express contrast or preference, always use "rather than" instead of "rather that" to maintain grammatical correctness.

Common error

Many writers mistakenly use "that" instead of "than" after "rather". Always remember that "than" is used for comparisons, while "that" introduces a clause. Using "rather than" ensures the sentence is grammatically sound and conveys the intended meaning clearly.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "rather that it is" is typically used as a conjunction to introduce a contrasting statement. However, it is grammatically incorrect; the correct form is "rather than it is". According to Ludwig AI, the proper comparative conjunction should be used for accurate meaning.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

46%

Academia

28%

Encyclopedias

9%

Less common in

Science

9%

Wiki

1%

Formal & Business

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "rather that it is" appears frequently across various sources, it is generally considered grammatically incorrect. The correct form is "rather than it is", which should be used to express a comparison or preference. Ludwig AI underscores this grammatical distinction. While commonly found in news, academic, and encyclopedia sources, avoiding this incorrect phrasing in formal writing is advisable to maintain clarity and grammatical accuracy. Always opt for "rather than" to ensure your writing is both precise and professional.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

rather than it is

Corrects the grammatical error by using "than" for comparison instead of "that".

instead of it being

Replaces the phrase with a more direct substitution, focusing on replacing one thing with another.

as opposed to it being

Highlights a contrast or opposition between two options.

compared to what it is

Emphasizes a comparison with the current state or condition.

in contrast to it being

Directly indicates a difference or opposition.

as an alternative to it being

Focuses on presenting another option or possibility.

rather than its current state

Shifts the focus to contrasting with the present condition.

in place of it being

Suggests a substitution of one thing for another.

instead of how it is

Replaces the phrase with a focus on changing the manner or method.

contrary to its nature

Emphasizes a contradiction with the inherent qualities or characteristics.

FAQs

What is the correct way to use "rather than" in a sentence?

Use "rather than" to introduce an alternative or preference. For example, "I prefer tea "rather than coffee"."

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

Yes, while similar, "rather than" often implies a preference, whereas "instead of" simply indicates a substitution. "I chose to walk "rather than drive"" suggests walking is preferred, while "I used a spoon "instead of a fork"" just indicates a tool substitution.

What can I use instead of "rather that it is"?

The grammatically correct alternative is "rather than it is". You can also use "instead of it being" or "as opposed to it being" depending on the specific context.

Why is "rather that it is" considered incorrect?

The phrase "rather that it is" is considered incorrect because it misuses the conjunction "that" in place of "than", which is needed for comparison. The correct form, "rather than it is", uses "than" to introduce a comparison or alternative.