rather的用法在英語中是比較常見的一個單詞,也是容易混淆的知識點之一, “rather” 作為一個副詞,有“相當?shù)?多多少少地,有點”意思,其后面可放形容詞或副詞,比較級的形容詞或副詞,名詞,還可以放動詞。下面跟隨答案網(wǎng)小編來看看rather的用法,rather放句首和單獨成句的用法吧。
一、用作副詞
1.很，頗，在很大程度上
It’s rather difficult. 它相當難。
I was rather angry at what he said. 我對他說的話相當生氣。
This carpet’s getting rather old now. 這塊地毯現(xiàn)在很舊了。
I’m afraid our team’s doing rather badly. 我看我們隊的表現(xiàn)不太好。
We were rather tired after our long walk. 徒步走了這么遠，我們都相當累了。
I feel rather well today. 我今天覺得相當好。
The new law has affected rather a lot of people. 新法律影響到了相當多的人。
2.(用于比較級之前表強調)…得多，還要更
The weather was rather worse than I had expected. 天氣要比我預料的還壞。
This hotel is rather more expensive than that. 這家旅館的收費比那家貴得多。
3.(用于too之前表強調)太：
He talks rather too much. 他說得實在太多了。
I’ve been to rather too many parties recently. 我最近參加的聚會實在太多了。
二、用于短語
1. or rather 更確切地說
She lives in London, or rather she lives in a suburb of London. 她住在倫敦，更確切的說，是在倫敦近郊。
I explained to him how far things had got, or rather had not got. 我向他說明形勢發(fā)展到何種程度，或者更確切地說向他說明形勢沒有發(fā)展到何種程度。
2. rather than 而不是，(不是…)而是：He ran rather than walked. 他不是在走而是在跑。
You are doing this for yourself rather than for me. 你做這件事不是為我而是為你自己。
It was what he meant rather than what he said. 這是他話里的意思，而不是他說的原話。
3. would rather...(than)… 寧愿…(而不愿)：I’d rather walk than take a bus. 我寧愿走路而不愿乘公共汽車。
He would rather have the small one than (have) the large one. 他寧愿要小的那個，而不愿要大的。
三、重要用法
1. 修飾形容詞時，通常與那些意義“消極”的形容詞連用：
Frank is clever but rather lazy. 弗蘭克很聰明但頗為懶惰。
若與意義“積極”的形容詞連用，則通常含有“驚人地”的意思：
I did rather well in that test—better than expected. 這次考試我考得相當好——比我預料的還好。
2.有時可用于修飾動詞，尤其是那些表達思想或情感的動詞：
I rather like him. 我很喜歡他。
She rather enjoys doing nothing. 她挺喜歡什么事都不干。
It rather surprised me. 那事使我相當驚訝。
I rather think we’re going to lose. 我倒是認為我們要輸。
We were rather hoping you could stay to supper. 我們倒是希望你留下來吃晚飯。
3.與不定冠詞連用時，通常要置于不定冠詞之前：
He is rather a fool. 他是個大笨蛋。
但若其后的名詞帶有形容詞修飾語，則也可置于不定冠詞之后：
That’s rather a silly question.= That’s a rather silly question. 那是個相當愚蠢的問題。
4.would rather(寧愿)的用法說明：
(1)后接動詞原形，其中的 would 不可用should代換，即使是第一人稱也是如此(在美國英語中，有時也說had rather，但不常見)；用于否定句時，not一般應放在rather之后，但在否定疑問句、反意疑問句以及簡略答語中，可以在would之后加 not：
We’d rather not go. 我們寧愿不去。
Wouldn’t you rather live here? 你不愿住在這兒?
(2)談論過去的情況時，后接完成式動詞，意為“本要”：
I’d rather have gone to the theatre last night. 昨晚我本來要去看戲的。
We’d rather have told her the news. 我們本來是要告訴她這個消息的。
(3)后接從句時，常用虛擬語氣(用過去式表示現(xiàn)在或將來，用過去完成時表示過去)：
I’d rather you went now (tomorrow). 我寧愿你現(xiàn)在(明天)去。
I’d rather he hadn’t done that. 我希望他沒有做過那事。
(4)表示“寧愿(做)…而不愿(做)…”時，用would rather…than…(than之后也接動詞原形，不過若與rather后的動詞相同，通常省去)：
He would rather walk than take a bus. 他愿走路而不愿坐公共汽車。
She would rather have the small one than the large one. 她寧愿要小的那個，而不愿要大的。
(5)當rather用作程度副詞時，可用來修飾like, enjoy, hope, appreciate等動詞，所以若would rather與這些動詞連用，它并不表示“寧愿”，而應把 rather 理解為“相當”：
I’d rather like the film. 我相當喜歡這部電影。
5. rather than用法說明：
(1)由于既可視為準并列連詞也可視為介詞，所以連接不定式時，后面一個不定式可帶to或不帶to(視為準并列連詞時)，也可用動名詞(視為介詞時)：
I decided to stay at home rather than (to) go [going] to the cinema. 我寧愿呆在家里也不愿去看電影。
(2)若 rather than 位于句首，其后的不定式通常不帶to(也可用動名詞)：
Rather than waste [wasting] your time doing it yourself, why don’t you call in a builder? 你為什么寧愿浪費時間自己去干而不去請一個包工的呢?
Rather than use [using] the last of my cash, I decided to write a cheque. 我決定開張支票而不把現(xiàn)金用光。
(3)連接兩個成分作主語時，其謂語動詞的數(shù)通常與前面一個主語保持一致：
The teacher rather than the students is to blame. 應受責備的是老師而不是學生。