A

You can take	the train or the coach, either the train or the coach, the train rather than the coach.
You can take the train.		Or else	you can take the coach.

I.1.4.Alternatives

Some of the common ways of referring to alternatives are listed in the table below.

part from that I don’t know anything about him.

tion is only. When only refers to the subject it comes before it. In other cases it normally goes before the verb (but af­ter the verb be or the first auxiliary verb).

2. Only contrasts with even.

3. Only may also be used as an ad­jective.

2. a)Just can be used in a similar way to only.

b) The adverbs merely and simply are also sometimes used in this sense.

2. When followed by a relative clause all has the meaning 'the only thing'.

3. The expressions limited to and re­stricted to are used in more formal Eng­lish. They may be followed by an -ing form (verbal noun).

4. Many of the expressions used to refer to exclusion can also have the sense of restriction when used in negative sen­tences.

	Alternatively Otherwise
You can take the train or you can take the coach instead.

1. You can get there by bus, train or Underground.

2. a) Take either the pen or the pencil but leave me one of them.

b)Either Paris or Vienna is going to be the venue for the congress.

If you see either George or Jim will you give him/them a

message?

3. I would send a telex rather than a letter.

4. There are only two choices: pay them the money or else go to the police.

Eat your dinner; or else you won’t get any ice-cream. Please repair the television or else give my money back.

Compare:

If you don't repair the TVset, give me back the money.

5. a) I want you to keep quiet. Otherwise I’ll get very annoyed.

Keep quiet. I’ll get very an­noyed otherwise, b) I could meet you at the of­fice.

Alternatively, I could go to

1. The most common way of expressing the idea of alternative is by using or. It brings equally important ideas together, but the ideas are alternatives. If there are more than two alternatives presented, or precedes the final element in the list; the other items are separated by commas.

2. a) Either... or emphasises the fact that there are only two alternatives.

b) When either... or refers to two singular nouns which are the subject of the sen­tence, the following verb is normally sin­gular. However plural pronouns are some­times used to refer to nouns joined by ei­ther... or.

3. Rather than can also express an idea of pref­erence.

4. Else can be used in the sense of “in addition” or “as an alternative”. It is often used after or as a way of reinforcing the sense of alterna­tive.

The expression or else can be used at the be­ginning of a clause, in the sense of otherwise. Compare the use of if not/ unless to convey a similar meaning.

5. a) Otherwise has a similar meaning to or else and may also be used in a conditional sense, meaning “if not”. It suggests a warning, not a real choice. It is placed at the beginning or at the end of the sentence,

2. Alternatively means ”as an alternative” and is used when there is a real choice. It does not have a conditional meaning and

your house. Compare: Use these machines carefully. Otherwise you could damage them.	so cannot always replace otherwise. Alter­natively is used in more formal English. It is normally placed at the beginning of the sentence. It often goes with can or could.
Instead (of)
1. I don't like fish - let’s have chicken for dinner instead. They advised us to fly, but instead we decided to come by train. We shall cease hand production and instead utilise industrial ro­bots. 2.Instead of just sitting here why don’t we do something?		Instead implies the rejection of one alternative in favour of another. It is normally placed at the end of the sentence. It can begin a sentence (plus comma), or come after but or and (usually no comma). The preposition instead of precedes the word to which it refers.
Rather
I’m interested in reading the book rather than seeing the film. You should have walked out rather than listen to that nonsense. They’d rather work in the office than in the factory. She prefers to work in the morning rather than in the afternoon. Many people prefer being paid in cash to receiving a cheque.			Rather than is also used to re­ject one alternative in favour of another. It is followed by an - mg form or by a bare infinitive To express preference for one alternative it is possible to use the verbs prefer and would rather.
On the other hand
You can pay in cash or, on the other hand, by cheque.		On the other hand being a contrastive linker can also be used to express the idea of an alternative.