Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.
1.
You use ~ than when you are contrasting two things or situations. Rather than introduces the thing or situation that is not true or that you do not want.
The problem was psychological ~ than physiological...
When I’m going out in the evening I use the bike if I can ~ than the car.
PREP-PHRASE
•
Rather is also a conjunction.
She made students think for themselves, ~ than telling them what to think...
CONJ
2.
You use ~ when you are correcting something that you have just said, especially when you are describing a particular situation after saying what it is not.
He explained what the Crux is, or ~, what it was.
ADV: ADV with cl/group
3.
If you say that you would ~ do something or you’d ~ do it, you mean that you would prefer to do it. If you say that you would ~ not do something, you mean that you do not want to do it.
If it’s all the same to you, I’d ~ work at home...
Kids would ~ play than study...
I would ~ Lionel took it on...
Sorry. I’d ~ not talk about it...
Would you like that? Don’t hesitate to say no if you’d ~ not.
PHRASE: MODAL inf, MODAL inf than inf, MODAL that, MODAL not inf, MODAL not
4.
You use ~ to indicate that something is true to a fairly great extent, especially when you are talking about something unpleasant or undesirable.
I grew up in ~ unusual circumstances...
The first speaker began to talk, very fast and ~ loudly...
I’m afraid it’s ~ a long story...
The reality is ~ more complex...
The fruit is ~ like a sweet chestnut...
ADV: ADV adj/adv, ADV a n, ADV compar, ADV too adj/adv, ADV prep
5.
You use ~ before verbs that introduce your thoughts and feelings, in order to express your opinion politely, especially when a different opinion has been expressed.
I ~ think he was telling the truth...
ADV: ADV before v politeness