rather than or than

Question

rather than or than?read this on a siteIt is usually better to change a smaller amount more frequently[, rather] than change a very large amount less often.

Doctor D · Accepted Answer

Either way is acceptable, but you should alter the wording slightly in each case.

The "than" form emphasizes a parallel thought, so add the "to" to make the structure match:
It is usually better to change a smaller amount more frequently than to change a large amount less often.

The "rather than" form emphasizes a contrasting thought, so I would drop "more."
It is usually better to change a smaller amount ~~more~~ frequently, rather than changing a large amount less often.

Clear?

Nagariya · Answer

True

Anonymous · Answer

Hello, I corrected the sentences best I can. As a English native speaker, you might be able to give me a hand, and help make better. Please Can you give me your opinion?

Happy new year by the way

My hands are always clammy when I drive through here. The roads here are dangerous.

The holes of the fishing landing net are too big, the smaller fish my not stay in the net. They might get through.

I'm not good with names. I more of a visual kind of person.

You will find a pear in bottle of alcohol. The alcohol prevents the pear from going bad.

I work in cosmetics and cream selling.

The only incident I had was with a taxi driver who charged me 2500 pesetas for a real short drive, it seems as if they have some kind of gadget pressed a button to make the taximeter go faster.

We were taxed 30 percent on our income.

How long did you know each other for before you got married?

What time did you order the cab for?

There isn't as many new content on this site everyday as that one but the content is better.

Happy holiday and new year 2013

Doctor D · Answer

Here are my suggestions:

My hands are always clammy when I drive through here. The roads here are dangerous.
My hands always get clammy when I drive through here because the roads are so dangerous. (I would combine to show cause.)

The holes of the fishing landing net are too big, the smaller fish my not stay in the net. They might get through.
Either: If the holes in the fish landing net are too big, the smaller fish might slip out of the net.
Or: The holes in the fish landing net are too big, so the smaller fish might slip out of the net.
(In the first sentence, you are wondering about what might happen. In the second, you are explaining what will happen.)

I'm not good with names. I more of a visual kind of person.
I'm not good with names. I am more of a visual person. (Don't forget the verb).

You will find a pear in bottle of alcohol. The alcohol prevents the pear from going bad.
You will find a pear in the bottle of alcohol. The alcohol prevents the pear from going bad.
(Okay, but I would prefer a combined sentence: You will find a pear in the bottle, which is filled with alcohol to prevent the fruit from going bad.)

I work in cosmetics and cream selling.
Either: I work in cosmetics selling cream. Or: I work as a salesman of cosmetics and cream. (It depends on if you are talking about cream as a subcategory of cosmetics or if both are equally important.)

The only incident I had was with a taxi driver who charged me 2500 pesetas for a real short drive, it seems as if they have some kind of gadget pressed a button to make the taximeter go faster.
(Either break this into two sentences or replace the comma with a semicolon. I prefer two sentences.)
The only incident I had was with a taxi driver who charged me 2500 pesetas for a really short drive. It almost seems as if they have some kind of gadget where you press a button to make the taxi meter go faster.

We were taxed 30 percent on our income. (Fine as is.)

How long did you know each other for before you got married? (You can drop the "for" and avoid the clash of "for" and "before.")

What time did you order the cab for? (Okay)

There isn't as many new content on this site everyday as that one but the content is better.
(Countable items get "many," not countable get "much." Also, make it exactly parallel in form. So:)
There isn't as much new content on this site every day as on that one, but their content is better.

I hope this helps.

Anonymous · Answer

Thank you for the help,

I had2 other questions if you can help
Which is correct?

1 Can you use another word than that one.
2 Can you use another word other than that one.

There is more content in this cup.
There are more contents in this cup.

--------

I've posted, I would like your opinion. I like the way you explain. If you have time.

Hi,
Can a teacher correct the paragraphs please?

The only way to get her name out and make a name for herself in the business was to place an ad on a fashion blog with a link of her internet site which cost $40 a month. This particular blog charges $10 fewer than other blogs. $40 for a boost in career is cheap.

As a singer, you need to know how to record a record through heartbreaks. If you need time to get over a boyfriend, you might not record much.

Tachycardia is a condition where you hear beats faster higher than normal. Tachycardia is a faster than normal heart rate. People with Tachycardia need to take medication to slow heart beat. Image having to go to sleep with a fast heart beat. You would have a hard time falling asleep knowing your heart is racing.

In order to make the same amount of money, I had to sell 3 products where other salesmen had to sell only 1. My products aren't as expensive.

BYE

Doctor D · Answer

You do not need both "another" and "other than" -- just use one. I would say:
Can you use a word other than that one?
Can you use another word instead of that one?

I would not say either of the "content" sentences. You don't say something has more contents than something else. It can have more juice or more soup, but it can't have more content (content is all the stuff inside). So I would say:
This cup contains more. (than that cup).
This cup is fuller than that.

And, if you want my suggestions on the essay, here they are:
The only way to get her name out and to make a name for herself in the business was to place an ad on a fashion blog with a link to her internet site. This will cost $40 a month. This particular blog charges $10 less than other blogs. Spending $40 for a boost to your career is cheap. [Avoid opening a sentence with $ or digits.]

As a singer, you need to know how to record a record during a time of heartbreak. If you need time to get over a boyfriend, you might not record much.

Tachycardia is a condition where you have a faster than normal heart rate. People with Tachycardia need to take medication to slow the beat. Image having to go to sleep with a fast heart beat. You would have a hard time falling asleep knowing your heart is racing. [Combine first sentences so as not to repeat yourself.]

In order to make the same amount of money, I had to sell three products where other salesmen had to sell only one. That''s because my products aren't as expensive. [Spell out numbers below ten.]

I hope that is all for now!

Anonymous · Answer

Hi

I had one question:
This you correct.
The only incident I had was with a taxi driver who charged me 2500 pesetas for a real short drive, it seems as if they have some kind of gadget pressed a button to make the taximeter go faster.

I just wanted corrections for:
The taxi meter was raising really fast, as if they had pressed the button to do so.
Is this correct?
What is the best means of transport[ation] to/for visit the city?
The plane had trouble ascending the air.
The flight was 3 hours [long]
He was dating his girlfriend of 3 years when I was supposed to go visit him a few years ago.

I'd be/feel better if...
I'd rather be/feel too hot than too cold.

Thank you so much

Doctor D · Answer

I just wanted corrections for:
The taxi meter was raising really fast, as if they had pressed the button to do so.
Is this correct?
[Back to the taxi? I would add more information (and change a few words):
The charge on the taxi meter was rising rapidly, as if they had pressed a button to make it climb.
The meter has not moved. What has increased is the amount shown on it. ]

What is the best means of transport[ation] to/for visit the city?
[The best means to get to the city or the best means for getting around once you are there?
Perhaps: What is the best means of transportation for visitors to the city?]

The plane had trouble ascending the air. [Okay, but "the air" is not needed.]
The flight was 3 hours [long]. [Either is okay.]
He was dating his girlfriend of 3 years when I was supposed to go visit him a few years ago. [Okay, I think, but I would probably write "still dating"--I think that is the point you want to make.]

I'd be/feel better if...
I'd rather be/feel too hot than too cold. [Either is acceptable.]

Anonymous · Answer

What do you think of
Tachycardia is a condition where you have a faster/higher than normal heart rate. People with Tachycardia need to take medication to slow the beat/heart rate. Image having to go to sleep with a fast/high heart rate. You would have a hard time falling asleep knowing your heart is racing. [Combine first sentences so as not to repeat yourself.]

In order to make the same amount of money, I had to sell three products where/while other salesmen had to sell only one. That''s because my products aren't as expensive. [Spell out numbers below ten.]

Is it correct to use "it's as if" this way? Would you say it like this?
You want to throw my favorite teddy bear away. It's as if I threw out your favorite toy, how would you like that?

If you look at a youtube video, you will understand what I mean. Maybe you could write it the way you think is best.

This video streaming system allows you to see where any scene is by placing the mouse over the line (tool data bar) that loads the movie and a small thumbnail with the scene the mouse is on will pop up as you drag the mouse across the bar you will see the different scenes coming up as a little thumbnail.

I don't know if I'm using the right verbs. How does an English speaking person write the below?

Your score has dropped every round. First round 100, second round 88 third round 82.
Your score has risen every round. First round 100, second round 107 third round 123.
She had the best improvement from round 1 to round 2. She scored 100 round one and 180 round 2.
No one else improved their score by that much.

I'm closer to his daughter's age than to his wife's age. His daughter and I are 4 years apart while his wife and I are 10 years apart.
I am fewer years apart with his daughter than with his wife.

TY very much

Doctor D · Answer

Here are my thoughts.

What do you think of
Tachycardia is a condition where you have a faster/higher than normal heart rate. People with Tachycardia need to take medication to slow the beat/heart rate. Image having to go to sleep with a fast/high heart rate. You would have a hard time falling asleep knowing your heart is racing.
[Better. You can pick either "faster" or "higher" in the first sentence and probably the last sentence, although I prefer faster. I would say "slow their heart rate" in the second sentence. ]

In order to make the same amount of money, I had to sell three products where/while other salesmen had to sell only one. That''s because my products aren't as expensive.
[Either "where" or "while" works.]

Is it correct to use "it's as if" this way? Would you say it like this?
You want to throw my favorite teddy bear away. It's as if I threw out your favorite toy, how would you like that?
[No, I wouldn't. I would say "It would be the same as if." And don't join "how would you like that" to the sentence with a comma. Either make it a new sentence or put a dash before it.]

If you look at a youtube video, you will understand what I mean. Maybe you could write it the way you think is best. [Okay]

This video streaming system allows you to see where any scene is by placing the mouse over the line (tool data bar) that loads the movie and a small thumbnail with the scene the mouse is on will pop up as you drag the mouse across the bar you will see the different scenes coming up as a little thumbnail.
[This is too long and thus confusing. Break up into smaller sentences.
This video streaming system allows you to see where any scene is. Simply place the mouse over the line (tool data bar) that loads the movie. A small thumbnail will pop up, showing which scene is mouse is on. As you drag the mouse across the bar, you will see the different scenes appearing as little thumbnails.]

I don't know if I'm using the right verbs. How does an English speaking person write the below?
[The problem isn't exactly your choice of verbs, it's leaving verbs and prepositions out in the second sentences.]

Your score has dropped every round. First round 100, second round 88 third round 82.
[Your score has dropped round by round. In the first round it was 100, in the second 88, and in the third 82.]
Your score has risen every round. First round 100, second round 107 third round 123.
[Same pattern as above.]
She had the best improvement from round 1 to round 2. She scored 100 round one and 180 round 2.
[She showed/had her/the best improvement in round two. (Or: going from round one to round two). She scored 100 in round one and 180 in round two.]
No one else improved their score by that much. [Fine]

I'm closer to his daughter's age than to his wife's age. His daughter and I are 4 years apart while his wife and I are 10 years apart.
[Okay, but I would spell out 4 and 10. But see also my wording below.]
I am fewer years apart with his daughter than with his wife.
[No, I would say: "I'm closer in age to his daughter than to his wife."]

That's it.

rather than or than

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